COVID-19 Coronavirus Disease

Question 1

What is coronavirus?

Answer

Coronavirus (CoV) belong to family of viruses which are capable of causing respiratory infection in humans and other life forms. They are single stranded- RNA viruses.
Coronaviruses are known to cause diseases ranging from common cold to severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
The most recently discovered coronavirus(SARS- CoV 2) causes coronavirus disease, COVID-19. CoV are zoonotic that means they are transmitted to humans through animals. The natural reservoir of SARS- CoV 2 is hypothesized to be bats or pangolins due to close similarity to CoV stains found in these animals.

Question 2

What is COVID-19?

Answer

COVID-19 is the contagious infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV 2). This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The virus has quickly spread globally. It is characterized as a PANDEMIC on MARCH 11, 2020.

Question 3

What are the symptoms of COVID-19?

Answer

People may be sick with the virus for 1 to 14 days before developing symptoms.
The most common symptoms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are 1. Fever
2. Tiredness, and
3. Dry Cough

Some patients may suffer from body pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea, breathing difficulty, etc.

Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment.

Click on the image above to enlarge

Question 4

How does it spread?

Answer

COVID-19 is a Droplet infection. The CoronaVirus gets transmitted via aerosol droplets (after someone affected with coronavirus disease sneezes, coughs or exhales nearby). or by direct contact (when you touch a contaminated surface (fomites) and then touch your face, nose or mouth.

ADVICE - COUGHING INTO THE ELBOW can help prevent the Droplet spread and use of masks in vicinity of affected people can help you prevent from inhaling the infected droplets. WASHING HANDS FREQUENTLY with soap and water is recommended to avoid the spread.

Question 5

How to prevent COVID-19 spread?

Answer

You need to follow certain precautionary steps to prevent it's spread.
You can protect yourself by :
1) PERSONAL HYGIENE

•Wash your hands frequently with soap or handwash and water.
•Avoid touching your face, eyes, mouth and nose.
• Use face- masks
-If you are healthy, you only need to wear a mask if you are taking care of a person with suspected Covid- 19 infection.
- Disposable face mask can only be used once.
• Use sanitizer ( if soap and water are not available).
• Cough into your elbow rather using hands to cover mouth. 2) SOCIAL DISTANCING
• avoiding close contact (1 meter or 3 feet) with people who are unwell.
• avoid attending large gatherings 3) SELF - ISOLATION
Stay at home and take rest if you feel unwell. 4) MEDICAL CHECK-UP
If you have recently travelled from the affected countries or came in contact with people who travelled from such countries and you feel headache, high fever or cough , then you must get your self checked and tested as soon as possible. 5) BOOST YOUR IMMUNITY
It has been seen that people with weak immune system are easy target of coronavirus disease. Elderly people or people with other health issues are at more risk.
Tips to boost your immunity-
• Be well Hydrated - drink enough water and take liquid diet more.
• Take balanced diet with good intake of fruits and vegetables.
• Get enough sunlight.
• Be active and fit - do few exercises daily.
• Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Avoid non- vegetarian diet.

Question 6

Is this virus deadly? Compare this with other viruses ?

Answer

Initially the mortality rate of Covid-19 was 2% but overall case fatality proportion appears to be closer to 3%.
It is less as compared to mortality rate of other viruses.

Click on the image above to enlarge Rarely, the coronavirus disease can be serious and even fatal. Older people with weak immunity and people with other medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, cancer or aids), may be more vulnerable to becoming severely ill or may die.
Deaths are usually caused by viral pneumonitis (direct virus damage of the lung) or by superimposed bacterial pneumonia.

Question 7

How long is the incubation period of COVID-19?

Answer

The “incubation period” means the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms of the disease.
Most estimates of the incubation period for COVID-19 range from 1-14 days, most commonly for around five days.

Question 8

Can we get infected by animal source?

Answer

Coronavirus (CoV) are zoonotic that means they are transmitted to humans through animals. Possible animal sources of COVID-19 have not yet been confirmed. The natural reservoir of SARS- CoV 2 is hypothesized to be bats or pangolins due to close similarity to CoV stains found in these animals.
But previous coronaviruses for example, SARS-CoV was associated with civet cats and MERS-CoV is transmitted by dromedary camels.
So better be careful and follow precautions in handling raw meat, milk or animal organs with care to avoid contamination of uncooked foods and avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products.

Question 9

How does Coronavirus harm?

Answer

VIROLOGY: Study of virus is termed as virology. A virus is a biological agent that replicates inside the cells of living organisms. it can affect all life forms, be it animals,plants or micro-organisms like bacteria,etc.
When a host cell is infected by a virus there is forced production of thousands of identical copies of the original virus at an extraordinary rate. Viruses do not have cells that divide; new viruses are assembled in the infected host cell and its DNA gets damaged. The host cell is unable to repair itself and can't perform its functions properly.
Most virus infections eventually result in the death of the host cell. The CoronaVirus gets transmitted via aerosol droplets (after someone affected with coronavirus disease sneezes or coughs nearby) or by direct contact (when you touch a contaminated surface (fomites) and then touch your face, nose or mouth.
initially the virus infects the cells of throat, airways and lungs and starts replicating therby turning them into "coronavirus industries/factories" that produce huge numbers of new viruses which in turn infects more cells.
At this early stage, there is no sign and symptom of sickness and some people may never develop symptoms ( asymtomatic cases).
The incubation period (the time between catching the viral infection and beginning to have symptoms of disease). Most estimates of the incubation period of 1-14 days, most commonly it is 5 days on average. Symptoms: The arrival of the symptoms: Once you get affected by the coronavirus, after a period of 5-6 days there will be some mild symptoms similar to symptoms of flu. • Mild symptoms :
There may be body aches, sore throat, runny nose, headache with fever and dry cough. Fever is a result of your immune system which responds to the entry and replication of the coronavirus. It markes the virus as a hostile invader and signals out that something is wrong in the body by releasing chemicals called cytokines and activates the thermostat to increase the body temperature (as an attempt to kill the invading organism).
Dry Cough is caused due irritation of cells by infection and multiplication of invading virus.
Some people might have productive cough which means they cough up sputum (a thick mucus containing dead lung cells killed by the virus). There may be fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, muscle or joint pain. •Severe symptoms If no medical treatment is done for the mild symptoms and thus the immunity system gets weakend, the virus replicates at a extraordinary rate and affects the alveolar sacs inside the lungs (majority cases). There is dyspnoea (difficulty in breathing), high fever, chest pain, hemoptysis (blood vomiting), respiratory crackles and insuffiency.
Inflammation of the lungs is called Pneumonia which can eventually cause shortness of breath and difficulty in breathing. Mostly it is bilateral pnuemonia (affecting both lungs).
With pneumonia, the air sacs may fill with fluid or pus and it becomes difficult for air to pass.
People may need nebulizer or ventilator to breathe in properly. • Critical symptoms If pneumonia gets unchecked or uncontrolled then it may damage the lungs to a large extent. The immune system becomes very weak and is unable to cope up. Complications can lead to cardiac inury, myocarditis, arrhythmia, liver dysfunction and septic shock (when the blood pressure drops to dangerously low levels). Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) caused by widespread inflammation in the lungs may result in systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or sepsis. This further evolves to acute renal failure (kidney damage) and multiple-organ failure (organs stop working properly or fail completely).
Finally the damage can reach fatal levels at which organs can no longer keep the body alive and eventually leads to death.

Question 10

Can coronavirus survive in hot temperature?

Answer

According to WHO - From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather.

Reference : https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

Question 11

Is there any vaccine for COVID-19?

Answer

Not yet.
There is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-2019. However, those affected should receive care to relieve symptoms.
People with serious illness should be hospitalized.

Question 12

How severe can COVID-19 get?

Answer

A study in China found that about 80% of confirmed cases had fairly mild symptoms (defined as no significant infection in the lungs). About 15% had severe symptoms that caused significant shortness of breath, low blood oxygen or other lung problems, and fewer than 5% of cases were critical, featuring respiratory failure, pneumonia, septic shock or multiple organ problems.

Question 13

Can spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body kill the new coronavirus?

Answer

No.
Spraying alcohol or chlorine all over your body will not kill viruses that have already entered your body.

Question 14

Are antibiotics effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus?

Answer

No, antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria.

Question 15

Should I travel?

Answer

It is not recommended to travel during this outbreak.
However if unavoidable, you can take precautionary measures and be safe.

Question 16

Is there any preventive medicine in Homeopathy?

Answer

Ministry of Ayush, India has issued an advisory as Homoeopathy for Prevention of Coronavirus infection on Jan 29, 2020. Ministry of AYUSH, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy(CCRH) discussed the ways and means of prevention of Coronavirus infection through Homoeopathy in 64th meeting of its Scientific Advisory Board on 28th January 2020.
They recommended Arsenicum album 30 could be taken as prophylactic medicine against Coronavirus infections.
It has recommended one dose of
Arsenicum album 30, daily in empty stomach for three days.
The dose should be repeated after one month by following the same schedule incase Coronavirus infections prevail in the community. Homoeopathy boosts and strengthens the immune system and stimulates body to heal itself , based on principle -"similia similibus curenter" means "like cures like".

Question 17

What is the structure of Coronavirus (SARS- CoV 2) ?

Answer

SARS- CoV 2, previously known as 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 - nCoV) is a positive-sense single stranded RNA virus (+)ssRNA virus.

Each SARS- CoV 2 virion is 50-200 nanometeres in diameter. Like other coronaviruses, SARS-CoV-2 has four structural proteins, known as the S (spike), E ( envelope), M ( membrane), and N ( nucleocapsid) proteins; the N protein holds the RNA genome, and the S, E, and M proteins together create the viral envelope. The spike protein (S), which has been imaged at the atomic level using cryogenic electron microscopy,is the protein responsible for allowing the virus to attach to the membrane of a host cell through angiotensin- converting enzyme 2 (ACE 2) and basigin (BSG). ACE 2 is expressed by epithelial cells of the intestine, kidney, blood vessels, and most abundantly in type II alveolar cells of the lungs. The viral spike protein induces a drop in the levels of ACE 2 in human cells, inducing lung damage. Reference-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Severe_acute_respiratory_syndrome_coronavirus_2

Question 18

To stay updated, where should I look for authentic information?

Answer

Its important to stay updated from trusted organizations like World Health Organization or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ensure you are getting information from reliable sources to avoid spreading fake news or mis-information.