Coronavirus Or Covid19: Cause, Symptoms And Treatments
Coronavirus Or Covid19: Cause, Symptoms And Treatments
With the start of 2020, a new virus started spreading and made headlines all over the world. Coronavirus was first originated in Wuhan, China, around December 2019. But within a few months, the virus, also known as CoVid19 or SARS-CoV-2, started spreading all over the world. And it leads to millions of deaths worldwide and infection. Currently, the USA is the most affected country in the world, with millions of people getting affected by this virus. India too has suffered a lot.
What do you mean by novel coronavirus?
The novel coronavirus is a new type of coronavirus, which got identified recently. The CoVid19 is a new type of coronavirus and not like the other coronavirus that circulates from humans to humans causing mild illness such as cold. This one can cause serious sickness and even death. A person with CoVid19 requires a different form of treatment than other coronavirus patients.
What are the different types of coronavirus?
The coronavirus is a part of a subfamily. Coronavirus has different types present, which depends on how it will spread and the severity of the disease. Till date doctors have found seven different types of coronavirus which have the possibility of infecting humans. Some of the common types of coronavirus are:
229E (alpha)
OC43 (beta)
NL63 (alpha)
HKU1 (beta)
Some of the severe coronavirus includes MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV that causes MERS and SARS disease in humans. And recently, the SARS-CoV-2 was discovered that is causing Corona Pandemic throughout the world.
What causes coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a type of virus that first develops in animals, and then it gets transferred to humans. The human has to come in close contact or consume the animal to get the virus. And the affected person then can transmit the virus to other people through respiratory droplets. Usually, when they talk, sneeze or cough, the drops get suspended in the air, and people inhaling that can develop infection or CoVid19. People who touch their eyes, nose, or mouth after holding an object or touching a surface with the virus present can also develop this deadly disease. But humans can also get this virus through other methods. Right now, one cannot pinpoint which animal first generated this virus, but researchers suggest it first developed in bats and got transferred to snakes or pangolins. Ultimately this was transmitted to humans.
What are the symptoms of CoVid19?
Some of the commonly found symptoms of CoVid19 are:
- Fever
- Trouble breathing
- Coughing
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Chills
- Headache
- Nausea
- Body aches
- Diarrhea
- Loss of smell and taste
- Sore throat
The patients can also develop pneumonia, septic shock, respiratory failure, and even death. People with CoVid19 also develop a certain type of syndrome known as cytokine release syndrome. The person with this syndrome can experience their bloodstream getting filled by inflammatory protein, also known as cytokines. When this occurs, your organs get damaged and kill the tissues. If you see your loved ones or yourself having the following problems, call the doctors immediately.
- Bruised or blue lips and face.
- Confusion.
- Trouble breathing.
- Chest pressure or persistent pain.
- Excessive drowsiness.
But with every passing day, doctors can find new symptoms emerging.
Which sections of people are at risk?
Anyone who comes in contact with the affected person can get the coronavirus. Also, one gets exposed to their saliva by being close to them when they talk, cough, or sneeze. People with certain diseases can get the virus easily. They are:
- COPD and asthma.
- A weak immune system such as HIV
- Obesity
- Heart condition
- Cancer
- Liver disease
- Kidney problems
- Diabetes
Newborn children can get the virus during birth if their mother has the disease.
How to diagnose coronavirus?
Like any other virus condition coronavirus gets diagnosed by a blood test, tissue, or saliva samples. But most of the time, the test requires a cotton swab that receives the sample from inside the mouth. Nowadays, people can find many test centers dedicated to diagnosing coronavirus. People who seem to have certain symptoms should immediately get in touch with a doctor and get a test done to see if they have the disease. Also, treatment should start as soon as possible.
How to treat CoVid19?
Right now there is no treatment available or cure specifically for the coronavirus. But various firms have started to create a vaccine for this disease. But doctors try to treat the symptoms to try and keep the disease under control. Try to get medical attention if you have CoVid19. The doctors would first suggest to go into quarantine and not stay in close contact with anybody.
How to prevent coronavirus?
If you want to prevent yourself from getting the coronavirus, the best way is to avoid or limit human contact. People who have symptoms of CoVid19 should not come in close contact with another person. Also, maintaining proper hygiene and keeping physical distance can help prevent the disease from spreading.
What are some of the prevention tips?
Some of the tips for prevention of CoVid19 are:
- Washing your hands with warm water and hand wash for at least 20 seconds.
- Wear face mask in public
- Make sure not to touch your eyes, mouth or nose with dirty hands.
- People with flu like symptoms should avoid going out.
- Maintain 2 meters distance from people.
- When you sneeze, cover your face with your elbows or use a tissue. Make sure to dispose of the tissue properly after use.
- Disinfect all the items that you touch regularly such as laptops, mobile phones, tables, chairs, etc.
- After coming home from outside make sure to throw the clothes and shoes for a wash.
Should one wear a mask?
Previously many health departments suggested people with CoVid19 should only wear the mask when they stay home or go out. But with the increasing number of cases every day, they suggest everyone should wear a mask or cover their face with something when going out in public.
What is the recovery period of coronavirus?
The recovery time depends upon the infected person. If one has mild symptoms, they need 2 to 14 days to fully recover. On the other hand, people with severe conditions should expect a full recovery by three to six weeks.
