Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
The majority of persons infected with the virus will have mild to moderate
respiratory symptoms and will recover without the need for medical attention.
Some, on the other hand, will get extremely unwell and require medical
assistance. Serious sickness is more likely to strike the elderly and those
with underlying medical problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic
respiratory disease, or cancer. COVID-19 may make
anyone sick and cause them to get extremely ill or die at any age.
Being fully informed on the disease and how it spreads is the greatest
approach to avoid and slow down transmission. Stay at least 1 metre away from
people, wear a well-fitting mask, and wash your hands or use an alcohol-based
rub often to protect yourself and others from infection. When it's your turn,
get vaccinated and follow
local advice.
When an infected person coughs, sneezes, speaks, sings, or breathes, the
virus spreads in minute liquid particles from their mouth or nose. Larger
respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols are among the particles. If you are
sick, it is critical to observe respiratory etiquette, such as coughing into a
flexed elbow, and to stay at home and self-isolate until you
heal.
How did the coronavirus start?
The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 1, 2019, and the culprit was a novel coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2 at the time. SARS-CoV-2 may have started in an animal and evolved (mutated) into a virus that can infect people. Viruses that originated in birds, pigs, bats, and other animals evolved to become deadly to people in the past, causing many infectious disease epidemics. More research is needed to understand how and why the coronavirus developed to produce pandemic illness.
How does the coronavirus spread?
The coronavirus is disseminated by droplets and virus particles released into the air when an infected person breathes, talks, laughs, sings, coughs, or sneezes, according to researchers. Larger droplets may fall to the ground in a matter of seconds, but small infectious particles can remain in the air and collect in enclosed spaces, particularly if a large number of people are gathering and ventilation is inadequate. This is why COVID-19 prevention requires mask use, hand cleanliness, and physical separation.
What is the incubation period for COVID-19?
Symptoms appear two to fourteen days after a person has been exposed to the
virus. A person infected with the coronavirus can be infectious to others for
up to two days before symptoms emerge, and for 10 to 20 days after symptoms
appear, depending on their immune system and the
severity of their sickness.
What are symptoms of coronavirus?
- Cough
- Fever or chills
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Muscle or body aches
- Sore throat
- New loss of taste or smell
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- New fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Congestion or runny nose
Some persons who are infected with the coronavirus develop minor COVID-19
symptoms, while others show no symptoms at all. COVID-19, on the other hand,
can cause respiratory failure, long-term lung and heart muscle damage, nervous
system issues, renal failure, and death in certain people.
Before coming to the doctor's office, urgent care facility, or emergency
room if you have a fever or any of the symptoms listed above, call your doctor
or a health care professional and discuss your symptoms over the phone. If
you're feeling unwell and think you might have COVID-19, try these tips.
How is COVID-19 diagnosed?
A laboratory test is
used to diagnose COVID-19. Because many COVID-19 signs and symptoms might be
caused by other conditions, a diagnosis based only on inspection is
challenging. Some persons infected with the coronavirus show no signs or
symptoms. Find out more about the COVID-19 test.
How is COVID-19 treated?
COVID-19 treatment focuses on the infection's signs and symptoms, as well
as providing support to those with more severe illness. Your doctor may
prescribe fever reducers or over-the-counter medicines for mild instances of
coronavirus illness. More serious instances may necessitate hospitalisation,
where a patient may get a mix of therapies, including steroids, oxygen, mechanical breathing assistance,
and additional COVID-19 medicines that are currently being developed. Certain
individuals may benefit from monoclonal antibody infusions given early in the
infection to decrease symptoms, severity, and length of sickness.
Does COVID-19 cause death?
COVID-19 can be deadly in extreme cases. See the Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases map
produced by the Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering for
the most up-to-date information on coronavirus illnesses, fatalities, and
vaccines throughout the world.
Why is it called coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are named for their appearance: “corona” means “crown.” The
virus’s outer layers are covered with spike proteins that surround them like a
crown.
Is this coronavirus different from SARS?
SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) is an acronym for severe acute
respiratory sickness. SARS was first detected in numerous countries in 2003,
and the pandemic ended in 2004. COVID-19 is caused by a coronavirus that is
identical to the one that caused the SARS pandemic in 2003.
SARS-CoV-2 is the name of the 2019 coronavirus, which is linked to the
original coronavirus that caused SARS and may also cause severe acute
respiratory syndrome. Although little is known about these viruses, SARS-CoV-2
spreads quicker and further than SARS-CoV-1 did in 2003. This is most likely
due to how quickly the virus may be passed from person to person, even among
asymptomatic carriers.
Are there different variants of this coronavirus?
Yes, there are various coronavirus variants. The coronavirus that causes COVID-19, like other viruses, can alter (mutate). B.1.1.7, a new variety, was discovered in the United Kingdom in December 2020, and since then, variants have been discovered in various parts of the world, including B.1.351, which was initially discovered in South Africa, and others. Coronavirus mutations may make it easier for the virus to transmit from person to person and produce more severe illness. More infections may cause more individuals to get seriously ill, as well as provide more opportunities for the virus to evolve additional mutations. Learn more about the many types of coronaviruses.
Effect On different Organ
Nervous system
It's unclear if SARS-CoV-2 can infect the neurological system. However, it
is apparent that many COVID-19 patients suffer from neurological or mental
health problems. In the majority of COVID-19 patients with neurological
problems, the virus is undetectable in the CNS. However, SARS-CoV-2 has been
found in the brains of COVID-19 victims at low levels, but these findings need
to be verified. The loss of smell is caused by infection of the olfactory
epithelium's support cells, which causes damage to the olfactory neurons. As
other coronaviruses have been shown to infect the CNS, SARS-CoV-2 might induce
respiratory failure by harming the brain stem. While the virus has been
found in autopsy cerebrovascular fluid, the specific method by which it enters
the CNS is unknown. Given the low levels of ACE2 in the brain, it may first
infect peripheral neurons. The virus might potentially enter the circulation
through the lungs and then pass the blood-brain barrier to reach the CNS,
possibly by an infected white blood cell.
Cardiovascular system
The virus has the potential to induce myocardial infarction and long-term
cardiovascular damage. [88] Acute cardiac damage was observed in 12% of
infected patients admitted to a hospital in Wuhan, China,[89], and it is more
common in people with severe illness. [90] Acute myocardial injuries may also
be linked to ACE2 receptors in the heart, as a result of the systemic
inflammatory response and immune system abnormalities that occur as illness
progresses. Heart function is aided by ACE2 receptors, which are abundantly
expressed in the heart.
Other organs
Complications of the kidneys are another major cause of mortality. Early
studies indicate that up to 30% of hospitalised patients in China and New York,
including individuals who had no prior renal issues, have suffered some form of
kidney damage.
People who died with COVID-19 had diffuse alveolar injury and lymphocyte-containing inflammatory
infiltrates in their lungs, according to autopsies.
Pregnancy response
During the COVID-19 epidemic, there are many unknowns for pregnant women.
They have been designated as a susceptible category and urged to take
additional preventative precautions because they are prone to complications and
serious illness infection from other kinds of coronaviruses.
Pregnancy can cause a
variety of physiological reactions, including:
- Immunological: COVID-19's immunological reaction,
like that of other viruses, is dependent on a functioning immune system.
It adjusts during pregnancy to allow the formation of a child with a
genetic load that is only partially shared with their mother, resulting in
a varied immune response to infections throughout the pregnancy.
- Respiratory: Pregnant women are more susceptible to
respiratory infections due to a variety of reasons. One of them is a
complete loss of lung capacity as well as the inability to discharge
secretions.
- Coagulation: There are increased levels of
circulating coagulation factors during pregnancy, which may have a role in
the psychophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pregnant women are at risk
for thrombolytic episodes, which can result in death.
However, from the evidence base, it is difficult to conclude whether
pregnant women are at increased risk of grave consequences of this virus. In addition to the above, other clinical studies have
proved that SARS-CoV-2 can affect the period of pregnancy in different ways. On
the one hand, there is little evidence of its impact up to 12 weeks gestation.
On the other hand, COVID-19 infection may cause increased rates of unfavorable outcomes in the course of the pregnancy. Some examples of these could be fatal
growth restriction, preterm birth, and perinatal mortality, which refers to the
fatal death past 22 or 28 completed weeks of pregnancy as well as the death
among live-born children up to seven completed days of life.
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