The first surprise of 2020 was the discovery and subsequent global spread of COVID-19, a new respiratory virus that presents similarly to the flu. With infection rates rising every day and the virus dominating the news, things can get very overwhelming. So what should you know about COVID-19?
What is Coronavirus and COVID-19?
There are several known viruses that are part of a large family known as coronaviruses (CoV). These include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). The current outbreak has been caused by a novel, previously unknown coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and has since spread to practically every country in the world. At the end of January 2020, COVID-19 was declared an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation.
COVID-19 Symptoms
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease which affects your lungs and airways. Symptoms include a persistent fever and a dry cough. It can cause more severe illnesses such as pneumonia and can be fatal in extreme cases. If you think you may have been infected or show symptoms consistent with COVID-19, current guidance (31st March 2020) is to self-isolate for 7 days, and for other members of your household to self-isolate for 14 days. If you are concerned, do NOT go to your GP but use the online NHS24 assessment system. If your health deteriorates while self-isolating, again do NOT visit your GP but either phone the GP surgery, contact NHS 111 or, if it’s an emergency, call 999.
COVID-19 Transmission
Coronaviruses are spread from person to person by respiratory secretions such as droplets produced when you cough. If you don’t cover your mouth when you cough, these droplets can pass through the air and land on surfaces allowing other people to come into contact with them. It is therefore important to cough or sneeze into a tissue and dispose of it afterwards. Follow this by washing your hands regularly with soap and warm water (for at least 20 seconds) or by using hand sanitiser if you don’t have easy access to hand washing facilities. It is also recommended that you should not touch your face to avoid transferring the virus from your hands to your eyes, nose or mouth. Current advice in the UK is that facemasks are not helpful unless you are infected yourself (facemasks can prevent the transmission of infected droplets) or are in close contact with an infected person.
There is evidence that COVID-19 can spread within local communities. This means it is incredibly important that we protect other people as well as ourselves. We can mainly do this by staying at home where possible – this breaks the chain of transmission and protects people who are the most at risk, such as the elderly and those with long-term health conditions (e.g. lung or heart disease or diabetes. Wash your hands regularly, and if you’ve been outside wash your hands as soon as you get home. Don’t meet up with other people who are not part of your household, even if they are friends or family. When outside, practice social distancing, keeping at least 2 metres away from other people.
What is Social Distancing?
Social distancing is vital for preventing the spread of coronavirus. Essentially it means avoiding contact with other people. In the UK and many other countries, part of this is telling people to only leave their homes when necessary; this is often referred to as a lockdown. When outside, the UK government suggests keeping at least 2 metres apart and people are not allowed to gather in groups of more than two (unless they are part of the same household). Schools and many workplaces have also closed. By reducing the ability of the virus to spread between people, the number of people infected should also go down.
Treatment for COVID-19
There are currently no specific anti-virals or vaccines available for coronavirus but a huge amount of work is being done by doctors and scientists to develop these as quickly as possible. If you feel unwell, it is best to avoid contact with other people to prevent the virus spreading. Severe disease may require hospital treatment and you should contact your GP or the NHS if you are concerned. Taking antibiotics will not help as they do not work against viruses.
What is a Pandemic?
The current coronavirus outbreak has been classed as a ‘pandemic’. This means that it is spreading in multiple countries around the world at the same time. As there is little to no pre-existing immunity against SARS-CoV-2, it is able to spread with relative ease around the world. This is the first known example of a pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus. Countries must work together to reduce the rate of infections and our actions as individuals are key to an effective response. If we reduce the rate of spread of the disease by hygiene and social distancing measures, we can reduce pressure on hospital services, allowing them to cope more effectively with the pandemic. As the situation is changing rapidly, the advice given here may be quickly out of date; use the links below for updated information.
Find out more:
NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
World Health Organisation: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
UK Government: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus