Things to know about COVID 19

Coronavirus is mostly found in animals of all kinds, of different types, and they sometimes can develop that can infect humans.

So what is the difference between CORONA VIRUS and COVID 19?

According to WHO (World Health Organization):

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

Human Coronavirus Types 

Coronaviruses are named for the crown-like spikes on their surface. There are four main sub-groupings of coronaviruses, known as alpha, beta, gamma, and delta.

Human coronaviruses were first identified in the mid-1960s. The seven coronaviruses that can infect people are:

Common human coronaviruses

• 229E (alpha coronavirus)
• NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
• OC43 (beta coronavirus)
• HKU1 (beta coronavirus)
• Other human coronaviruses
• MERS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS)
• SARS-CoV (the beta coronavirus that causes a severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS)
• SARS-CoV-2 (the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19)

People around the world commonly get infected with human coronaviruses 229E, NL63, OC43, and HKU1.

Sometimes coronaviruses that infect animals can evolve and make people sick and become a new human coronavirus. Three recent examples of this are 2019-nCoV, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV.

Source: CSC.gov

 

 

How Did COVID 19 Start

It started in December 2019, when China alerted WHO that there are cases of rare pneumonia cases in Wuhan City, individuals who suffer were working in Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market. Which they thought was the reoccurrence of SARS virus,

On 11 February 2020, WHO announce and identified the virus as COVID-19 (previously known as “2019 novel coronavirus”) and the disease it causes. 

The official names are:

Disease 

• Coronavirus disease
• (COVID-19)

Virus 

• Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
• (SARS-CoV-2)

 Here is the complete timeline of the COVID 19  by:  Businessinsider

• December 31, 2019 – Chinese Health officials inform the WHO about a cluster of 41 patients with a mysterious pneumonia. Most are connected to Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market.
• January 1, 2020 – Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market closes.
• January 7, 2020 – Chinese authorities identify a new type of coronavirus (called novel coronavirus or nCoV).
• January 11, 2020 – China records its first death.
• January 13, 2020 – The first coronavirus case outside of China is reported in Thailand.
• January 20, 2020 – First US case is reported: a 35-year-old man in Snohomish County, Washington.
• January 23, 2020 – Wuhan is placed under quarantine, Hubei province follows within days.WHO declares a global public health emergency.
• January 30, 2020 – WHO declares a global public-health emergency
• January 31, 2020 – President Trump bans foreign nationals from entering the US if they were in China within the prior two weeks.
• February 2, 2020 – First death outside China is recorded in the Philippines.
• February 7, 2020 – Chinese whistleblower Li Wenliang dies.US citizen dies in Wuhan
• February 8, 2020 – – first death of an American citizen.
• February 9, 2020 – Death toll in China surpasses that of the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, with 811 deaths recorded.
• February 11, 2020 – WHO announces that the new coronavirus disease will be called “COVID-19.”
• February 12, 2020 – Coronavirus cases start to spike in South Korea.
• February 19, 2020 – Iran outbreak begins.
• February 21, 2020 – Italy outbreak begins.
• February 29, 2020 – US reports first death on American soil.
• March 8, 2020 – Italy places all 60 million residents on lockdown.
• March 11, 2020 – WHO declared the outbreak a pandemic.
• March 11, 2020 – President Trump bans all travel from 26 European countries.
• March 13, 2020 – A US national emergency is declared over the novel coronavirus outbreak.
• March 17, 2020 – A leaked federal plan warns the new coronavirus pandemic “will last 18 months or longer” and may come in “multiple waves” of infections.
• March 17, 2020 – Italy reports 475 COVID-19 deaths, the highest single-day death toll for any country since the outbreak began.
• By March 19, 2020 – Nearly all US states declare a state of emergency.
• March 20-21, 2020  – Italy reports the two highest single-day death tolls for any country: 627 on March 20 and 793 on March 21.
• March 22, 2020 – About 1 in 3 Americans are under lockdown as 12 states issue stay-at-home orders.
• March 23, 2020 – New York City confirms 21,000 cases, making it the biggest epicenter of the outbreak in the US.
• March 26, 2020 -Roughly 1 in 2 Americans go on lockdown as 22 states issue stay-at-home orders.
• March 26, 2020 – Total confirmed cases in the US reach 82,404 — the highest in the world — surpassing China’s 81,782 and Italy’s 80,589.
• March 27, 2020 – Globally, authorities report more than 558,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with about 431,000 being active and ongoing cases, roughly 128,000 recoveries, and 25,251 deaths

How COVID 19 Spread:

Person-to-person spread

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
• Respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs.

Source:  CDC.gov   

 

Who are at risk?

Older people and people with certain health conditions have a higher risk of severe complications if they contract the virus. These health conditions include:

• lung conditions, such as COPD and asthma
• certain heart conditions
• immune system conditions, such as HIV
• cancer that requires treatment
• severe obesity
• other health conditions, if not well-controlled, such as diabetes, kidney disease, or liver disease
• Pregnant women have a higher risk of complicationsTrusted Source from other viral infections, but it’s not yet known if this is the case for the 2019 coronavirus.

Know the Symptoms and How to prevent it:

Symptoms of the flu:

• Cough
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Sneezing
• Sore throat
• Fever
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Chills
• Body aches

Prevention tips

• Wash your hands frequently for at least 20 seconds at a time with warm water and soap. How long are 20 seconds? About as long as it takes to sing your “ABCs.”
• Don’t touch your face, eyes, nose, or mouth when your hands are dirty.
• Don’t go out if you’re feeling sick or have any cold or flu symptoms.
• Stay at least 3 feet trusted Source (1 meter) away from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
• Cover your mouth with the inside of your elbow whenever you sneeze or cough. Throw away any tissues you use right away.
• Clean any objects you touch a lot. Use disinfectants on objects like phones, computers, utensils, dishware, and doorknobs.

Source:  Theaverage

Currently, the scientist is working on some vaccine on how to prevent the virus, for now, the World Health Organization (WHO) advises social distancing amidst COVID-19. As scientists are yet to find ways to beat this pandemic, plans to travel the Maldives, or any COVID-19-stricken might need to be pushed back at the moment.