It’s corona time — and no, I’m not talking about the popular drink of choice. The coronavirus is all over the news infecting all continents, except for Antarctica, and causing wide-spread panic resulting in many schools and institutions shutting down. First, let’s get a common misconception out of the way: COVID-19 is a strain of the coronavirus that is currently responsible for the pandemic. COVID-19 had its first confirmed case on December 31st, 2019. And since then, there has been a lot of speculation and rumors about its potential as a virus and where it has spread to. But here’s the actual research and hard facts that you need to know.
The coronavirus is actually a family of viruses that’s known to infect animals and humans.
What that means is, yes, there is more than one coronavirus, and they mainly cause respiratory infections with a range of symptoms from those of the common cold to those of Severe Acute Respiratory Symptom (SARS) and Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). It can also infect animals, so yes, your dog could contact certain types of coronavirus.
Common symptoms of the virus include a dry cough, tiredness and a fever.
Other symptoms may include, diarrhea, runny nose, pains, or sore throat. Symptoms start off on the mild side but gradually get worse. However, some people can be infected with the virus and not feel any symptoms.
About 80% of people infected by the virus recover without any special treatment.
About one out of six people who are infected by the virus become seriously ill and develop breathing difficulties. Older people, mostly with underlying medical conditions such as high blood pressure or heart problems, are more likely to be affected by the virus in a more serious way.
COVID-19 is actually quite mild.
For children and young adults, the virus attacks on a more mild scale. But it can be serious — about one in five people who contract it need hospital care. According to the International Journal Of Epidemiology, the case fatality ratio for COVID-19 is at about a 2% as of February 22, 2020. Meanwhile, MERS — another strain of the coronavirus that emerged in the Middle East in 2012 — had a fatality rate of about 35%. And SARS, the first strain of the coronavirus in 2002, had an overall fatality rate of about 11%.
So although the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is still rising and the disease is new, it currently appears to be less deadly than some other epidemics. However, there is still a lot we don’t know about the disease and the virus. The CDC is actively doing what they can to try and find out more to ensure optimal health and safety. But you still take precautions. Wash your hands diligently, do not cough or sneeze on others, and remember these are just the starting numbers — things could always get worse, or they could improve.
Citations:
Peeri, Noah C, et al. “The SARS, MERS and Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Epidemics, the Newest and Biggest Global Health Threats: What Lessons Have We Learned?” International Journal of Epidemiology, 2020, doi:10.1093/ije/dyaa033.
“Q&A On Coronaviruses (COVID-19).” World Health Organization, World Health Organization, 9 Mar. 2020, www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses.