Knowing COVID-19 better - Facts and Misconceptions around the COVID-19 Outbreak
An “infodemic” of misinformation and rumours is spreading more quickly than the current outbreak of the new coronavirus - WHO
The world is gripped with the anxiety and fear of COVID-19. With the increase in the number of cases everyday, COVID-19 has infected over 1,00,000 people from around 104 countries. Raising awareness about COVID-19 without increasing the fear, avoiding stigma, preventing spread of misleading information that can increase fear are some ways to help fight this global epidemic. Everything you need to know about COVID-19 is summarized in this article.
What is Coronavirus and COVID-19?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses known to cause respiratory infections ranging from common cold to severe respiratory distress syndromes. It can affect humans and animals as well. Some forms of respiratory infections caused by Coronavirus family include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Coronavirus disease COVID-19 (the most recently discovered).
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Fever, dry cough, tiredness, body aches, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhoea are the most common symptoms of COVID-19. Not all symptoms are seen in all the patients. It is also important to note that the symptoms will be mild and gradually get intense depending on the patient’s age, general health and predisposing factors.
Is it a fatal infection?
COVID-19 infection causes mild illness especially in children and young adults. Almost 80% people recover from the disease without specialised treatment. The mortality rate as per World Health Organization (WHO) as of 3 March 2020 is just 3.4%. In fact the other two infections of Coronavirus MERS and SARS claimed far more lives than the COVID-19.
Who is at risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19?
Older people and those with underlying medical problems like diabetes, cardiac problems, high blood pressure and lung disease are likely to develop serious illness compared to others. 1 out of 6 people who gets infected with COVID-19 develops severe respiratory illness and some even develop secondary infections needing hospital care.
How does COVID-19 spread?
COVID-19 can spread from person to person through small droplets from mouth or nose which are released when a person with COVID-19 coughs or sneezes.
Even the droplets which land on objects and surfaces around a person is capable of infecting the person if at all he comes in contact with those droplets and later touches his nose, mouth or eyes.
It is very important to know that COVID-19 is not transmitted through air and it is only through respiratory droplets - though the respiratory droplets themselves can become airborne.
According to WHO, the risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms at all is very low compared to someone who has symptoms of any degree (mild cough, fever) as it is still the early stage of the disease. Public health workers and family members of infected people are at greater risk of catching COVID-19.
What is to be done to reduce the COVID-19 Panic around the world?
“Fear of the unknown” is the best explanation of why people are panicking so much. As 1 out of 6 people who catch COVID-19 get serious illness (provided they have pre existing medical conditions and are aged) needing hospitalization, it is quite normal for people to worry about COVID-19.
Public health emergencies like the COVID-19 outbreak can be stressful for people as little is known about the virus and its mode of transmission. The fear and anxiety about COVID-19 can cause social stigma with specific populations being discriminated against as disease transmitters and the fear being spread unnecessarily through social media. Even when a person with COVID-19 recovers completely and is released from quarantine, he might still be viewed in the community as a potential risk. Knowing facts about the COVID-19 from reliable governmental health websites and educating the community about it helps in stopping the stigma and making the community members resilient.
Some of the reasons for fear and ways to avoid them:
Poor understanding of COVID-19 and it’s mode of transmission amongst people. Educate yourself with reliable information sources like WHO, CDC and local healthcare workers.
Misleading information transmitted through social media across the world creating fear in the community. Stop spreading the messages which you receive over whatsapp and facebook unless they are from reliable governmental sources and are aimed at educating people and not making them panic.
Fear of social stigma and racial abuse which are reported in many countries due to poor understanding of COVID-19 and branding it as a ‘Chinese’ or ‘Asian’ disease. The disease was discovered in 2019 and the virus is from the Corona Virus family and hence the name COVID-19 (Corona-Virus-Disease-19)
Stigma and racial isolation is leading to worse situations in some parts of the world as people are trying to hide their illness to avoid discrimination, thereby exposing themselves to the community spreading the virus. Avoid discriminating, stigmatizing and be empathic.
Fear of COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic leading to people accumulating masks, groceries and sanitizers which has created chaos and fear in the community.
How can I protect myself from COVID-19?
It is important to focus on protecting ourselves, our friends and family and the entire community from the spread of infection than panicking about the virus and disease symptoms.
The most important step in this regard is washing your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. You could also use a hand sanitizer which contains at least 60% alcohol instead of soap and water. Maintaining a good respiratory hygiene is also very important.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Encourage them to wear a mask and get them checked with a local medical facility.
If you feel sick, stay home except to get medical care until you get well.
Cover with a tissue when you cough and sneeze.
Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily using a regular detergent and water or a disinfection product.
Keep yourself updated on the places where there is an outbreak of COVID-19 and avoid travel to these places. Comply with your local restrictions on travel, and large gatherings.
As COVID-19 spreads through respiratory droplets, it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick. COVID-19 outbreaks can be contained and transmission stopped by cooperating with local health authorities and following their guidelines.
Get latest updates about the disease status, treatment options available, possible vaccines and medications available from authentic websites like the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or your local public health agencies.
We can channel our concerns into actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. First and foremost among these actions is regular and thorough hand-washing and good respiratory hygiene. Secondly, keep informed and follow the advice of the local health authorities including any restrictions put in place on travel, movement and gatherings.
Are there medicines or vaccines against COVID-19?
There are currently no medicines specifically for the COVID-19 nor a vaccine is available to prevent the infection as of now. Treatment for COVID-19 infection is aimed at relieving symptoms, and offering supportive care to prevent complications arising out of the infection in some individuals who are infected.
What if I have COVID-19?
If you are sick and you suspect you are infected with COVID-19, follow the recommendations of CDC to help prevent the transmission to your family and friends as follows:
Stay home if you are mildly ill and stay in a room away from the other members of the family. Restrict your mobility outside your home except for getting medical care. If possible, use a separate bathroom and do not share it with others.
Avoid public gatherings and going to work, school, public areas or even traveling in a public transportation as you might transmit the infection to others.
Limit contact with pets and animals when you are sick. Though there have not been reports of pets becoming sick with COVID-19, it is better to avoid contact with pets as we are still getting to know more about the virus and the modes of transmission. If you must care for your pet, kindly wash your hands before and after the care and make sure to wear a facemask.
Call your healthcare provider and mention your concern about COVID-19 and your symptoms and schedule an appointment so that you could take steps to recover and also prevent the spread of the infection in the community.
Make sure to wear a facemask as soon as you get symptomatic. You should wear the mask at home, when you are with other people and during your visit to the healthcare provider.
Cover with a tissue when you cough and sneeze. Dispose the tissue safely in a trash and wash your hands with soap and water or clean it with an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Make sure to wash your hands frequently even otherwise and do not touch your face, nose, eyes and others without your hands being washed thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.
Avoid sharing dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils or bedding with others until you get well.
Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects daily using a regular detergent and water or a disinfection product. Change the bedding frequently and clean them thoroughly.
Promptly get medical care and get tested periodically to prevent the symptoms from getting worse or infecting others.
Where can I get more information?
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/steps-when-sick.html