Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an communicable disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory disease and recover without requiring special treatment. Older people, and people with underlying medical problems like disorder , diabetes, chronic respiratory illness , and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

The best thanks to prevent and hamper transmission is be informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and the way it spreads. Protect yourself et al. from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.

The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you simply also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

At this point , there are not any specific vaccines or treatments for COVID-19. However, there are many ongoing clinical trials evaluating potential treatments. WHO will still provide updated information as soon as clinical findings become available.

Prevention

To prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19, do the following:-

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.

Maintain a minimum of 1 metre distance between you and other people coughing or sneezing.

Avoid touching your face.

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.

Stay home if you are feeling unwell.

Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.

Practice physical distancing by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying faraway from large groups of individuals .

Symptoms

COVID-19 affects different people in several ways. Most infected people will develop mild to moderate illness and recover without hospitalization.

Most common symptoms:

Fever.

Dry cough.

Tiredness.

Less common symptoms:

Aches and pains.

Nasal congestion.

Sore throat.

Diarrhoea.

Conjunctivitis.

Headache.

Loss of taste or smell.

A rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes.

Serious symptoms:

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath.

Chest pain or pressure.

Loss of speech or movement.

Seek immediate medical attention if you've got serious symptoms. Always call before visiting your doctor or clinic .

People with mild symptoms who are otherwise healthy should manage their symptoms reception .

On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to point out , however it can take up to 14 days.

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Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)
What is a coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are an outsized family of viruses which can cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections starting from the cold to more severe diseases like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). the foremost recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is that the communicable disease caused by the foremost recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID-19 is now an epidemic affecting many countries globally.

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, pharyngitis or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and start gradually. Some people become infected but only have very mild symptoms. most of the people (about 80%) get over the disease without having hospital treatment. Around 1 out of each 5 people that gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and people with underlying medical problems like high vital sign , heart and lung problems, diabetes, or cancer , are at higher risk of developing serious illness. However anyone can catch COVID-19 and become seriously ill. Even people with very mild symptoms of COVID-19 can transmit the virus. People of all ages who experience fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention

How does COVID-19 spread?
People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when an individual with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets are relatively heavy, don't travel far and quickly sink to the bottom . People can catch COVID-19 if they inhale these droplets from an individual infected with the virus. this is often why it's important to remain a minimum of 1 metre (3 feet) faraway from others. These droplets can land on objects and surfaces round the person like tables, doorknobs and handrails. People can become infected by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. this is often why it's important to scrub your hands regularly with soap and water or clean with alcohol-based hand rub.

WHO is assessing ongoing research on the ways in which COVID-19 is spread and can still share updated findings.

What is the difference between self-isolation, self-quarantine and distancing?
Quarantine means restricting activities or separating people that aren't ill themselves but may are exposed to COVID-19. The goal is to stop spread of the disease at the time when people just develop symptoms.

Isolation means separating people that are ill with symptoms of COVID-19 and should be infectious to stop the spread of the disease.

Physical distancing means being physically apart. WHO recommends keeping a minimum of 1-metre (3 feet) distance from others. this is often a general measure that everybody should take albeit they're well with no known exposure to COVID-19.