The facts (as I’ve been able to pull from The World Health Organization)
Name: A Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) or 19-nCov
What is it? (https://www.who.int):
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus similar genetically to SARS. SARS was more deadly but much less infectious than COVID-19. There have been no outbreaks of SARS anywhere in the world since 2003. WHO’s Director General” As you know, over the weekend (9 March 2020) we crossed 100,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in 100 countries. It’s certainly troubling that so many people and countries have been affected so quickly. Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real. But it would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.”
Exposure (https://www.who.int): It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
Time to react from exposure (https://www.who.int):
It takes between 2 and 14 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever. Most commonly around 5 days.
Common signs of infection (https://www.who.int):
Respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Hospital Care (https://www.who.int): Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care.
What is Pneumonia? (https://www.lung.org/): Pneumonia is an infection that inflames your lungs' air sacs (alveoli). The air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough, fever, chills and trouble breathing…. The symptoms of viral pneumonia usually develop over a period of several days. Early symptoms are similar to influenza symptoms: fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain. There may be a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips... If you have viral pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to treat it. Sometimes, though, symptom management and rest are all that is needed.
Why do we want to reduce the spread of this virus, so much? (https://www.who.int):
Because 1 in 5 will need hospital care - requiring assessment, which could include xrays, blood work, Pulse oximetry, and subsequent treatment, antiviral medication.
If the pneumonia is so severe that you are treated in the hospital, an available bed will be needed, and you may be given intravenous fluids and antibiotics, as well as oxygen therapy, and possibly other breathing treatments.
Update March 10th 2020
What are we asked to do? (https://www.who.int):
All countries must take a comprehensive blended strategy for controlling their epidemics and pushing this deadly virus back….countries must focus on finding, testing, treating and isolating individual cases, and following their contacts…. the spread of this virus can be significantly slowed or even reversed through the implementation of robust containment and control activities.….We must stop, contain, control, delay and reduce the impact of this virus at every opportunity. Every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether in the home, the community, the healthcare system, the workplace or the transport system.
My final thoughts. This is a serious, highly contagious virus that needs, not our panic, not our ridicule, but our education, focus and attention. To prevent an outbreak here, and the potential of backed up resources at our already very busy hospitals - we should limit our travel, limit our opportunities for exposure, wash hands often, be prepared for an outbreak should it occur, make donations for support if needed, and help our families, and neighbours get through this.
(https://www.canadahelps.org/en/donate-to-coronavirus-outbreak-response/)
Name: A Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) or 19-nCov
What is it? (https://www.who.int):
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus similar genetically to SARS. SARS was more deadly but much less infectious than COVID-19. There have been no outbreaks of SARS anywhere in the world since 2003. WHO’s Director General” As you know, over the weekend (9 March 2020) we crossed 100,000 reported cases of COVID-19 in 100 countries. It’s certainly troubling that so many people and countries have been affected so quickly. Now that the virus has a foothold in so many countries, the threat of a pandemic has become very real. But it would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled.”
Exposure (https://www.who.int): It is not certain how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on surfaces, but it seems to behave like other coronaviruses. Studies suggest that coronaviruses (including preliminary information on the COVID-19 virus) may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days. This may vary under different conditions (e.g. type of surface, temperature or humidity of the environment).
Time to react from exposure (https://www.who.int):
It takes between 2 and 14 days before people who are infected become sick and develop a fever. Most commonly around 5 days.
Common signs of infection (https://www.who.int):
Respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.
In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Hospital Care (https://www.who.int): Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care.
What is Pneumonia? (https://www.lung.org/): Pneumonia is an infection that inflames your lungs' air sacs (alveoli). The air sacs may fill up with fluid or pus, causing symptoms such as a cough, fever, chills and trouble breathing…. The symptoms of viral pneumonia usually develop over a period of several days. Early symptoms are similar to influenza symptoms: fever, a dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within a day or two, the symptoms typically get worse, with increasing cough, shortness of breath and muscle pain. There may be a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips... If you have viral pneumonia, your doctor may prescribe an antiviral medication to treat it. Sometimes, though, symptom management and rest are all that is needed.
Why do we want to reduce the spread of this virus, so much? (https://www.who.int):
Because 1 in 5 will need hospital care - requiring assessment, which could include xrays, blood work, Pulse oximetry, and subsequent treatment, antiviral medication.
If the pneumonia is so severe that you are treated in the hospital, an available bed will be needed, and you may be given intravenous fluids and antibiotics, as well as oxygen therapy, and possibly other breathing treatments.
Update March 10th 2020
Three professors from the University of Milan also sent a letter warning doctors in the rest of Europe to "get ready," because 10 per cent of patients who test positive for COVID-19 end up needing intensive care.
"This situation is like a bomb that explodes, and you're simply overwhelmed by an incredible number of patients," another Italian physician, Dr. Giacomo Grasselli, told the CBC News Network this week.
What are we asked to do? (https://www.who.int):
All countries must take a comprehensive blended strategy for controlling their epidemics and pushing this deadly virus back….countries must focus on finding, testing, treating and isolating individual cases, and following their contacts…. the spread of this virus can be significantly slowed or even reversed through the implementation of robust containment and control activities.….We must stop, contain, control, delay and reduce the impact of this virus at every opportunity. Every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether in the home, the community, the healthcare system, the workplace or the transport system.
My final thoughts. This is a serious, highly contagious virus that needs, not our panic, not our ridicule, but our education, focus and attention. To prevent an outbreak here, and the potential of backed up resources at our already very busy hospitals - we should limit our travel, limit our opportunities for exposure, wash hands often, be prepared for an outbreak should it occur, make donations for support if needed, and help our families, and neighbours get through this.
(https://www.canadahelps.org/en/donate-to-coronavirus-outbreak-response/)
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