COVID-19: All You Need To Know

Coronavirus or COVID-19 is a global pandemic. At present almost all major countries are in a state of lockdown to prevent the spread of this highly contagious virus. Here is a guide, ‘All-you-know-about-COVID-19′ including its history, prevention and symptoms.

HISTORY

In general, Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that may infect animals or humans, generally in the way of a respiratory infection which can range from mild to severe. The recently discovered new strand of this virus is what we know as COVID-19 that is the cause of the present global pandemic. The first outbreak of this new and unknown virus began in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

SYMPTOMS

The most common symptoms are fever, dry cough, and fatigue. Some people affected by COVID-19 may also experience sore throat, runny nose, nasal congestion, and pain. The symptoms develop at different rates varying from person to person and while they may be mild for some, they can be more severe for another.

PREVENTION

The only scary thing about COVID-19 is how fast and easily is transmits from person to person, which in turn weighs heavily upon the limited resources and healthcare facilities. A number of people fail to get adequate treatment on time because of this heavy load on the system and thus people who could have been easily saved, end up victims.
Thus the best way of prevention is social distancing and maintaining proper hygiene which includes –

• Regularly washing hands thoroughly with soap and water or cleaning with alcohol-based hand rubs, sanitizers etc.
• Do not touch your face, eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands or after coming in contact with a different surface. Because this virus can survive for hours on different surfaces and can contaminate your hands. Touching eyes, nose or mouth then will just make it easier for the virus to enter your body.
• Cover your mouth and nose with either bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Make sure others around you do the same.

And this can’t be stressed enough but please maintain distance from others for a while. Stay at home if you are unwell or if the government has given guidelines to do so. It’s for your own good and will help stop the spread of the virus. Also, keep yourself updated on the present situation and act accordingly. Remember that prevention is the best cure.