All About Corona Virus

 

In December 2019 there was a cluster of pneumonia cases in the city of Wuhan in China. Some of the early cases had reported visiting or working in a seafood and live animal market in Wuhan. Investigations found that the disease was caused by a newly discovered corona virus the disease was subsequently named Covid 19 Covid 19 spread within China and to the rest of the world on 30 January 2020 the World.

Health Organization declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern in this topic we'll take a quick look at what is currently known about Covid 19?keep in mind that this is a new disease and what's known is rapidly evolving and might change in the future. So what is a corona virus? Corona Viruses are a large group of viruses. They consist of a core of genetic material surrounded by a lipid envelope with protein spikes, this gives it the appearance of a crown in Latin is called Corona and that's how these viruses get their name. There are different types of corona viruses that cause illness in animals and humans. In humans corona viruses can cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. These include the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, first identified in China in 2003. The Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus that was first identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and Tsarskoe v2.The name of the virus that causes Covid 19 that was first reported in December 2019 so where did this new virus come from its known that corona viruses circulate in a range of animals. Sometimes these viruses can make the jump from animals to humans this is called a spillover and could be due to a range of factors such as mutations in the virus or increased contact between humans and animals, for example mers-cov is known to be transmitted from camels and Tsarskoe V from civet cats. The animal reservoir of the new corona virus is not known yet.

 

How does the disease spread?

The disease can spread from person to person through droplets when an infected person releases those droplets through coughing talking or sneezing for example when close to another person it can also spread. When infected droplets land on objects and when another person touches them and then touches their eyes nose or mouth. What are the symptoms?

Here are some symptoms like cough, nose and sometime difficulty in breathing and little fever also.

The incubation period which is the time taken from exposure to the virus and development of symptoms is on average five to six days but can range from 1 to 14 days. There can be a range of symptoms from very mild to severe, some people may not develop symptoms common symptoms include fever fatigue and respiratory symptoms such as cough sore throat and shortness of breath some people reported loss of their sense of taste or smell and some may develop a skin rash in more severe cases there could be pneumonia organ failure and sometimes death. About 80% of cases recover from the disease without needing special treatment but there are some people who are at risk of serious illness. They include older people or people with underlying medical problems such as chronic respiratory disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or cancer. How can we tell? Whether someone is infected. The infection is commonly diagnosed by a test called reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction generally known as PCR. This test identifies the virus based on its genetic fingerprint. There is also a blood test that can check for antibodies against the virus which may show that someone was infected in the past. How is it treated the treatment for Covid19, is mainly supportive care medicines against the virus are currently under investigation.

How do we prevent from transmission of the virus?

There are a number of effective ways to prevent the spread of the disease, these include covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing with a flexed elbow or tissue and throwing the tissue in a closed bin immediately, after use wash hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub maintaining at least one meter distance from people and the appropriate use of masks and personal protective equipment.

Especially in health settings it's important to stay home if you're feeling unwell and to call a hotline or your medical professional but if you have a fever cough or difficulty breathing seek medical care early and share your travel history or contact with someone unwell with your healthcare provider. In some areas governments have implemented specific physical and social distancing measures to prevent the spread of the outbreak it's important to follow their advice. Vaccines to prevent Covid 19 are currently used in some countries. To make them more effective scientists around the world are working hard to make this happen that's a quick look at this emerging infectious disease. We're still learning about this virus every day and what's known may change so.