Here’s the skinny on COVID – what to know, what to tell others, and why it’s not just being overblown by the media.
Why should you worry about it? After all, the ‘flu’ is a virus and affects significantly more people every year.
This virus is much more serious than flu as the illness has proven deadly in around 3.1% of confirmed cases, compared to only 0.1% in case of influenza. That number might drop as testing expands and milder cases are diagnosed, but the true danger of coronavirus is more likely to be the number of cases that require hospitalization. We should learn and take steps to avoid some of the same mistakes other countries have made in their fight against this virus as hospitals and intensive care units have been overwhelmed with a lack of supplies and staff to treat those who are afflicted. Also, unlike influenza, there is no vaccine and no FDA-approved antiviral treatment.
I’m young and healthy – I should be fine, right?
One study from China showed that 41% of serious cases occurred among persons under the age of 50, compared to 27% of serious cases among persons aged 65 or older. It is true that the older population is at greater risk, but serious cases can also happen in young people with no prior medical history.
How is it spread?
The key is ‘droplet precautions’: if someone is within six feet of a coughing/sneezing person they are at risk to be exposed to the virus in those droplets. If someone who is sick touches their face or eyes and then touches any surface (for instance a door knob or sink tap) then the virus will be transferred to that surface. When the next person comes and opens the same tap they will get that virus on their hands. Once they wash their hands, the virus will get washed off but once they close the tap the virus will be transmitted to their hands once again. So one should open/close taps with a tissue paper and throw it away. Open doors with your back or with a tissue. These are just some of the precautions medical providers exercise in hospitals on a daily basis.
How soon will I start to show symptoms?
The normal course of disease for COVID-19 begins with an asymptomatic period of five to six days. This means that once a person is exposed to the virus (by touching door knobs, countertops, phones, keyboards, or any surface that has the virus on top of it) it will take about five days or more before he or she starts to show any symptoms. This is typically followed by symptoms lasting another week for mild cases and 3-6 weeks for severe cases.
What symptoms should I watch out for?
Fever is by far the most common symptom but is still absent in over 10% of cases. Some studies from China have reported an absence of fever in over 50% of cases! There should be concern if someone has any or all of the following symptoms: fever, dry cough, fatigue, productive cough, shortness of breath, sore throat chills, runny nose/nasal congestion. While many of these symptoms overlap with influenza or any other number of run-of-the-mill viral upper respiratory infections, patients with these symptoms should call their primary care doctors first. Most people with mild symptoms should probably stay home, but those with more serious ones may need to be seen by a doctor. Difficulty breathing, rapid breathing, confusion, high fever and a deeper, productive cough can be signs of pneumonia and warrant medical attention.
Understand that this virus is a new virus that has never been known to mankind before- so limited data is known about it and new data is coming out every day.
How can it be treated?
This is a novel virus with no real vaccine or treatment. The best way to fight it is prevention: be aware of it and how it is spread and take steps to protect yourself. It is no longer present only in people who are traveling from a select few countries, or in people who have returned from a cruise ship. The virus has spread and is now afflicting residents all over the United States as well.
