The World and Coronavirus

Last year, december, a new strain of coronavirus was found, in the city of Wuhan, China. Today, the virus has spread over more than 200 countries, with over 1.5 million infected people and 83 thousand deaths across the globe and has been declared as a pandemic by the WHO.

There is a lot of mis information going around which is creating confusion. Uncertain prognoses, looming severe shortages of resources, large and growing financial losses, are among the major reasons for stress, that undoubtedly will contribute to widespread emotional distress and increased risk for psychiatric illness associated with Covid-19. These effects may translate into a range of emotional reactions, unhealthy behaviors, and noncompliance with healthcare providers. People in all places have a lot of questions about this virus. And given the situation it is essential to stay calm and not stress out about the situation based on any rumors or false knowledge. This article is a small step to answering some of these questions.

Coronaviruses is basically a family of viruses which typically infects humans, birds and animals. Some of the coronavirus strains which were identified before in humans are — MERS and SARS.

The new strain of coronavirus which has taken over the world is known as SARS-COV-2. Now, commonly known as COVID-19, this strain of coronavirus wasn’t previously identified in humans and that is why there is still no legitimate vaccine available. The increasing number of infected people indicates how highly contagious the strain is. The virus spreads through person to person through droplets and not through air, which basically means when a person coughs or sneezes, the droplets from them land on some surface and when another person comes in contact with that surface and then touches their nose or mouth, the person may pass the virus strain to themselves.

Known to affect the respiratory tract, COVID-19 can show symptoms of:

• Fever and Dry Cough

Also including:

• Sore Throat
• Nasal Congestion
• Headache
• Difficulty in Breathing.

In severe cases, the coronavirus can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and death.

These symptoms may occur 2 to 14 days after being exposed to the virus.

Countries around the world are taking severe steps to slow the spread of the virus. Many of the countries have resorted to social distancing and lockdowns. But despite the government actions it is our duty as an individual to keep ourselves and those around us safe. The vaccine for COVID-19 is still undergoing testing and at present there are no vaccines or immunizations available for coronavirus. Because this is a new disease, doctors are still learning about it. But there are a number of coronavirus prevention measures which we can perform to maintain safety all around.

• Frequent washing of hands with soap.
• Make use of alcohol based sanitizers.
• Cover our sneeze or cough with a disposable tissue or our elbow.
• Keep a distance of at least 1 meter from others.
• Maintain social distancing.
• Stay aware and well informed.
• Keep a tab on your temperature.
• Stay away from people who are ill.
• Contact a doctor if you feel you have any of the related symptoms.
• Self isolate if you have any symptoms.

Considering the current situation of coronavirus, there is little we can to to stop the spread. But we can help in containing it. Let’s play our part in this fight against the pandemic; find the right answers about any questions that we may have about coronavirus and follow the guidelines and preventions conveyed to us by the healthcare providers and the government. The main focus right now should be staying aware, well informed and safe.