3 Things about Coronavirus that you should know
It seems that the world has come to a standstill. The busy roads are empty, people are not roaming around and the world is locked down. Everyone can relate to this situation in today’s time as more than 177 countries or territories are currently experiencing a disastrous situation, all due to Corona virus. As of April 8, the virus has claimed more than 82,080 lives worldwide and more than 1,431,706 people have tested positive. In India, the affected margin has crossed 5000 and the death toll is increasing regularly. Like many other countries, India has also declared a complete lockdown as a measure to prevent the spread.
Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global pandemic and describes the situation as a world health emergency.
Let’s know a few things about coronavirus, which is claiming lives all across the world –
What is coronavirus?
According to WHO, it belongs to a family of viruses that creates an unusual case of pneumonia ranging from common cold to serious respiratory diseases. It is similar to acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). This family of viruses is transmitted from animals to humans.
The name Corona virus comes from the Latin word corona, which means crown or halo. This novel coronavirus looks like it is surrounded by a solar corona under an electron microscope.
It was first identified by Chinese authorities on January 7, 2020 and got names as SARS-CoV-2, now commonly known as COVID-19. Little is known about this virus but it is confirmed that it gets transmitted from one human to another.
How contagious is coronavirus?
The WHO declared that the virus spreads from one person to another through small droplets released while sneezing or coughing. Also, the virus has the potential for survival on surfaces for many days. So, apart from inhaling, one can get infected by touching the contaminated surfaces and then touching the face (nose, mouth or eyes). Though the mortality rate of this virus is only 3.4% yet it spreads rapidly. Many researches show 80% of the patients are mildly affected by the disease, while 13% are severely affected and 6% are critically affected.
Common symptoms of an infected person include –
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
Symptoms of a severe infection are –
- Aches and pains
- Runny nose
- Sore throat
- Shortness of breath
- Diarrhoea
Can young people die from Corona virus?
Younger people are less vulnerable; however, they can still get COVID – 19 by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which might lead to hospitalization. However, the safety margin is still unanswered. According to WHO, older people with pre-existing health conditions – such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease are more susceptible to this disease.
How can it be stopped?
For now, there’s no vaccine or proper cure for this life-threatening disease and scientists are constantly working towards it. Though there might be a vaccine in the coming time, yet mass distribution won’t happen before 2021. As a measure, countries are calling for lockdowns and asking people to stay at home and avoid mass gathering so that the contamination is controlled.