COVID 19 101: Intersting Facts About the Deadly Virus

Covid 19
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Covid 19
Covid 19

COVID-19 has hit the world hard. It has changed lives, disrupted businesses and governments, and caused panic across the globe. The impact has been felt almost everywhere. In fact, according to statistics provided by Johns Hopkins University, there were millions of confirmed cases worldwide at the end of March 2020.

And, even though there is a vaccine, there are still new cases of the virus emerging.  And, it looks like we are going to have this virus around forever.

Some fun facts about COVID-19 that you probably didn’t know…

  1. A large percentage of people are asymptomatic carriers of the virus. They can spread the disease without knowing it.2. The first reported case of coronavirus was in December 2019 in Hubei province in China. However, it wasn’t until January 22nd, when the World Health Organization declared this a pandemic.
  2. Coronaviruses are usually associated with colds or respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis or pneumonia. But they can also be deadly. According to reports from Japan’s Ministry of Health, Science, Labor, and Welfare, the number of deaths in Japan has surpassed 2,000.
  3. The new coronavirus is so contagious that experts recommend keeping 6 meters between yourself and other members of your family. And keep your distance from others whenever possible.
  4. While the WHO has recommended avoiding nonessential travel, the CDC advises the opposite. Avoiding nonessential trips will help slow down the virus’ spread and prevent an outbreak on American soil.

Symptoms Of The Virus

  1. People who contract the virus may experience symptoms anywhere from a mild cough to severe breathing issues. The most common symptom is fever.
  2. Symptoms usually appear within 14 days after exposure but could take up to 24 days. This means that if someone gets COVID-19 today, it’s likely not too late for them to get better through treatment.
  3. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone experiencing these symptoms should call their doctor for testing and follow his/her orders. If you do test positive, you should quarantine yourself at home.
  4. According to Chinese doctors, the incubation period for people infected with COVID-19 is three weeks, which includes the time spent waiting to fall sick.
  5. Some of the earliest signs of COVID-19 include fatigue, body aches, and loss of sense of smell and taste. But many cases only show symptoms once the person is already infectious. At this point, it may take as long as 15 days before the person starts showing symptoms.
  6. There is an antibody test available, but it isn’t 100 per cent accurate yet.
  7. According to research from China, the novel coronavirus originated around bats, then made its way into humans via seafood markets.

Where Did The Virus Come From?

Since the discovery of SARS-CoV-2, the scientists behind it say they believe it came from the bat species Pangolin. They think it crossed over to humans when a pangolin ate meat contaminated with a bat carrying the virus.

Scientists have found mutations in the genetic code of COVID-19, which suggests multiple strains of the virus exist.

As of now, no vaccine exists against COVID-19, but researchers are looking into potential treatments.

According to the Centre for Disease Control, there are six categories of recommendations regarding the treatment and prevention of COVID-19 infections. These include Isolation; Isolating those who are ill as much as possible; Social distancing; Stopping transmission among close contacts; Treatment options; and Preparing for future outbreaks.

To protect themselves against infection, health officials recommend frequent hand washing, covering their mouth when coughing or sneezing, avoiding touching their faces, staying away from people who are