The Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 – Necessary Facts

The 2019 novel coronavirus COVID-19 is a virus that is recently been identified in humans (December 2019) and has extremely terrified people all around the world. The internet is filled with do’s and don’ts, rumored cures and myths, and that’s not helping the situation at all. So here are necessary and verified (from NSW Health) facts about the novel coronavirus COVID-19 to make things easier for you.

Symptoms of the Novel Coronavirus COVID-19

From the data that’s available right now, it seems that the virus causes flu-like symptoms that include:

Fever

Cough

Difficulty in breathing

Pain in the muscles

Tiredness

In more serious cases, the patient can develop Pneumonia, septic shock, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and even death.

Who’s more at risk?

As the available data suggests, people with weaker immunity like children, elderly people and people with underlying conditions (heart diseases, liver disorders, etc.) are more prone to the infection.

Treatment

Although there is no specific treatment for this disease, the doctors are treating the clinical symptoms observed in patients like fever, trouble in breathing, muscle pain, etc.

Precautions

Amidst this chaos, the most important and frequently asked question is what precautions people should take to protect themselves against the novel coronavirus. The best way to do so is to practice basic hygiene. Here are some basic but important steps that you should keep in mind.

1. Wash your hands regularly for at least 20 seconds. (preferably with soap or alcohol-based hand rub)

2. For your own safety and others’ as well, cover your mouth when sneezing/coughing, with a tissue. (Don’t use your hands as that just makes the transmission of germs easier. If you don’t have a tissue, use your flexed elbow.)

3. Avoid handshakes (or any kind of close contact) with someone who is showing flu-like symptoms.

4. Avoid going outdoor if you are sick.

Doctors all around the world are making efforts to find a treatment for the virus and treat the patients as soon as possible. Until then, it’s up to us to take the necessary precautions and limit the virus’s transmission for both our and other people’s sake.