What do we know about Coronavirus (COVID-19)?
What Do We Know?
In humans, coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Usually, it is spread by respiratory droplets produced when someone coughs or sneezes. The virus can live outside the body for some time, so you could be exposed to it by touching surfaces that others with the virus have touched.
The World Health Organization (WHO) isolated the virus known as SARS-CoV-2 or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in late December 2019 after several cases were noted in Wuhan, China. The disease it causes has been named coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.
From its initial presentation through today, it has since led to almost 200,000 cases in 126 countries with 7800 deaths to date worldwide.
The average time between exposure and presentation of symptoms, or the incubation period, is 5 days, but it can range anywhere from 1-14 days. Given 95% of patients are likely to experience symptoms within 12.5 days of contact, this has led to the recommendation for 14-day quarantine for exposed and close contact persons.
Main Symptoms
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
- Body aches (myalgia)
- Shortness of breath
If you are experiencing the above symptoms, call your healthcare provider to determine further steps of care. If you have milder symptoms, staying at home and monitoring your condition while self-quarantining may be more appropriate than going to the emergency department, where more severe cases are being managed.
What Can You Do?
- Wash your hands thoroughly using soap and warm water.
- If using hand sanitizer, ensure it is at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as viruses will typically enter mucous membranes.
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
- Practice social distancing by staying at home and limiting your social contacts.
- Cancel or postpone mass gatherings and large events such as weddings.
Is There a Cure?
At this time, there is no vaccine or specific treatment for COVID-19 other than supportive care. However, by practicing the steps above, you can ultimately help reduce the burden on the healthcare system by effectively lowering the exponential increase in the number of people affected.
For more information on the concept of social distancing, read further on how to flatten the curve.
Stay safe and healthy!
References
- He F, Deng Y, Li W. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): What we know?. J Med Virol. 2020;
- World Health Organization, Coronavirus Situation Report - 58
- Coronavirus Detail Report - PDF
- These simulations show how to flatten the coronavirus growth curve. The Washington Post. Corona Simulator. Published March 14, 2020
