Covid-19 ......As I know it

In a nut-shell.
1.Coronavirus is here to stay.It is similar to viruses that cause bronchitis and pneumonia.
2.While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease.
3.The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes
4.Prevention is the best solution going forward
a.Avoid touching surfaces like staircase, tables,door knobs etc.
b.Cover nose and mouth with a cloth mask.Make it a habit not to touch face, nose and mouth.This is the most common way of transmission.
c.Wash hands often and use a sanitizer with 60% alcohol.
d.Alcohol dehydrates the virus and once dry the virus is ineffective.






In detail for serious readers.
What is coronavirus disease (COVID-19)?
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus. 'CO' stands for corona, 'VI' for virus, and 'D' for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as '2019 novel coronavirus' or '2019-nCoV.'



COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered corona virus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

What are the symptoms of Corona Virus Disease?
Most common symptoms:
Fever
Dry cough
Tiredness
Less common symptoms:
Aches and pains
Sore throat
Diarrhoea
Conjunctivitis
Headache
Loss of taste or smell
A rash on skin, or discolouration of fingers or toes

These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.
 Fever is one of the main symptoms of sickness from coronavirus infection, A fever is a body temperature that is higher than normal. Fever is part of your body’s normal immune response to try to kill a virus or bacteria that caused an infection, according to the National Institutes of Health.
These symptoms can appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to coronavirus. If you or a family member has a fever, 100.4º F or 38º C or higher; a cough; or trouble breathing, call your physician and seek medical advice.
Common coronaviruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, much like the common cold.
Coronaviruses can also sometimes cause illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.
Most patients with respiratory symptoms do not have COVID-19 and likely have a more common illness like the flu.



Is the coronavirus disease more severe than the flu?Does COVID-19 causes more severe disease than seasonal influenza.?



While many people globally have built up immunity to seasonal flu strains, COVID-19 is a new virus to which no one has immunity. That means more people are susceptible to infection, and some will suffer severe disease.
Globally, about 3.4% of reported COVID-19 cases have died. By comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected.
The differences in the severity of the disease could be linked to a protein called ACE2, which the virus uses to enter cells and is carried on the surface of some cells in the nose, lungs and gut. People with diabetes, hypertension or cardiovascular disease often take ACE inhibitor drugs, which work by targeting the ACE enzyme – a different protein that works with ACE2 to regulate blood pressure.



Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.
Scientists have found a key factor which may explain why the novel coronavirus predominantly affects adults and older people while seeming to spare younger children, an advance that may lead to the development of new treatment strategies for COVID-19.
According to the researchers, children have lower levels of a receptor protein that the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 needs to invade airway epithelial cells in the lung.



After a viral particle is inhaled into the lungs, protein "spikes" attach to ACE2, a receptor on the surfaces of certain lung cells, the researchers explained.
Another cellular protein called TMPRSS2 chops up the spike, enabling the virus to fuse into the cell membrane and "break into" the cell.



How to prevent an infection?
According to the Centre for Disease Control , the most likely way for the virus to spread is through close contact with someone who's infected (even if they don't know it). This is why continuing to practice social distancing is so important.
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 also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).
Despite the little information we have about the survivability of coronavirus on your clothes, we do know a few other helpful things. Experts have found that viruses similar to the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 survive best on smooth, hard surfaces — such as door knobs.
Coronavirus can survive on plastic and stainless steel surfaces anywhere from hours to a few days. This is why it's important to wash your hands frequently, avoid touching your face and clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces every day.
Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face.
1.Wash hands often ,use a sanitiser with alcohol content of 60% as it dries out the hands subsequently dehydrating the virus.
2.Do not touch hands on mouth ,nose and face
3.Keep mouth and nose covered with a cloth as the virus liquid droplets get trapped and dry out faster on cloth .
4.Avoid touching surfaces ..railings..door knobs etc..always carry paper tissues and use them.



A quick word on coronavirus and your cloth mask.
These viruses are more likely to get trapped within the fibers and weave of permeable surfaces like fabric, and dry out.
These viruses are much less infective (potentially non-infective) when dried out, and fabrics are more likely to absorb and suck water away from a virus.
The CDC recommends washing your cloth mask in your washing machine using household laundry detergent regularly, depending on frequency of use. This means that the more often you wear your cloth mask, the more often it should be washed.