Coronaviruses are a type of virus and apparently there are many different kinds some of which cause disease. A newly identified type has caused a recent outbreak of respiratory illness now called COVID-19 that started in China.
Recent information indicates COVID-19 may be passed from person to person. Community spread is being seen, also. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in a particular area, including some people who are not sure how or where they became infected. COVID-19 has been detected in people throughout China and in over 100 other countries, including the United States.
The spread of this new coronavirus is being monitored by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the World Health Organization and health organizations like Johns Hopkins across the globe. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a public health emergency.
COVID-19 appeared in Wuhan, a city in China, in December 2019. Although health officials are still tracing the exact source of this new coronavirus, early hypotheses thought it may be linked to a seafood market in Wuhan, China. Some people who visited the market developed viral pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus. A study that came out on Jan. 25, 2020, notes that the individual with the first reported case became ill on Dec. 1, 2019, and had no link to the seafood market. Investigations are ongoing as to how this virus originated and spread.
What is the incubation period for COVID-19?
It appears that symptoms are showing up in people within 14 days of exposure to the virus.
What are symptoms of COVID-19?
COVID-19 symptoms include:
- Cough
- Fever
- Shortness of breath
In rare cases, COVID-19 can lead to severe respiratory problems, kidney failure or death.
How is COVID-19 diagnosed?
Diagnosis may be difficult with only a physical exam because mild cases of COVID-19 may appear similar to the flu or a bad cold. A laboratory test can confirm the diagnosis.
How is COVID-19 treated?
As of now, there is not a specific treatment for the virus. People who become sick from COVID-19 should be treated with supportive measures: those that relieve symptoms. For severe cases, there may be additional options for treatment, including research drugs and therapeutics.
Does COVID-19 cause death?
As of Mar. 10, 2020, 4,087 deaths have been attributed to COVID-19. However, 64,385 people have recovered from the illness.
Resources I used to document myself:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus
To me it looks like this virus will eventually hit every human on the planet and probably the best thing we can do now is to try to delay catching it for as long as possible so that we give scientists enough time to get the vaccine ready.
The prepper in me already spots the signs of a global situation – in lack of a better word – and thinks isolation and hiding but then maybe I’m overreacting.
Overall I don’t think this is the end of the world as we know it but if one looks at share prices in general or at what companies are doing around the world and at how your local grocery store’s shelves look like at the moment … you start to think about stuff like that …