Due to the rapid spread of the Corona virus infection endangering the entire world population, it is important for everyone to understand what a virus is and how it spreads and infects? And how these types of pandemics will be controlled?
What is a virus? What is coronavirus?
A virus is considered as in between living and non-living creature.
Virus requires a living host to survive and multiply such as Coronavirus survives and multiply rapidly in numbers when it is inside human body. Once it is outside of the host for e.g. on surfaces it survives for a very short time.
Characteristics of Covid-19
To simplify, below two characteristics are important to understand the public health impact of a new virus infection:
From the available information, Coronavirus is very infective – transmission of the virus to the new host is extremely efficient and rapid. Virus is reported to spread through droplets in the air and surfaces.
Mortality rate is varying a lot at this point in different countries. Some countries have quite high mortality rate whereas many countries have mortality rate less than 1.0%.
However, a large proportion of infected people (estimated 85%) get better without any specific treatment. The infection is spreading very quickly and affecting a large population in a very short period of time resulting in over burdening the healthcare system.
Many patients are requiring critical care and intensive care treatment such as artificial breathing support or ventilators machines. Severe cases unfortunately are dying because of the complications of the disease and unavailability of medical aid and appropriate treatment at the right time. This is more applicable for elderly patients and people who have other illnesses.
Prevention is key
How to prevent covid19 or corona virus infection?
The key to prevent the impact of coronavirus infection is by breaking the cycle of transmission. Since all corona virus requires a new host to survive and multiply, when suspected people are screened, infected people are identified and isolated and people themselves adopt practices to minimize exposure with others for 2 – 4 weeks – the virus will not find new host and then die off. Self-isolation or quarantining people is important to prevent virus spread.
What are our responsibilities as public?
What is a virus? What is coronavirus?
A virus is considered as in between living and non-living creature.
Virus requires a living host to survive and multiply such as Coronavirus survives and multiply rapidly in numbers when it is inside human body. Once it is outside of the host for e.g. on surfaces it survives for a very short time.
Characteristics of Covid-19
To simplify, below two characteristics are important to understand the public health impact of a new virus infection:
- Infectivity (meaning: how quickly the virus can transmit to new host).
It depends on the type of infection it may cause, but some virus spread quickly such as Coronavirus whereas some virus spread slow - Mortality – (meaning: how deadly the viral infection is? what is the mortality rate among the people who are infected)
From the available information, Coronavirus is very infective – transmission of the virus to the new host is extremely efficient and rapid. Virus is reported to spread through droplets in the air and surfaces.
Mortality rate is varying a lot at this point in different countries. Some countries have quite high mortality rate whereas many countries have mortality rate less than 1.0%.
However, a large proportion of infected people (estimated 85%) get better without any specific treatment. The infection is spreading very quickly and affecting a large population in a very short period of time resulting in over burdening the healthcare system.
Many patients are requiring critical care and intensive care treatment such as artificial breathing support or ventilators machines. Severe cases unfortunately are dying because of the complications of the disease and unavailability of medical aid and appropriate treatment at the right time. This is more applicable for elderly patients and people who have other illnesses.
Prevention is key
How to prevent covid19 or corona virus infection?
The key to prevent the impact of coronavirus infection is by breaking the cycle of transmission. Since all corona virus requires a new host to survive and multiply, when suspected people are screened, infected people are identified and isolated and people themselves adopt practices to minimize exposure with others for 2 – 4 weeks – the virus will not find new host and then die off. Self-isolation or quarantining people is important to prevent virus spread.
- Break the cycle of transmission
- Maximum people should stay home as much as possible for the next few weeks
- Physical barrier – by wearing masks to cover the nasal passage and mouth
- Minimize contact and Limit exposure
- Social Distancing or Physical distancing – that means keeping physical distance of 2 meters or 6 fts among each other when outside to avoid or slow down virus transmission
- Don’t visit crowded areas, careful in using crowded public transport/ buses and trains
- Minimize transmission from person to person
- So that virus will not find new host
- That provides essential time to health system that includes hospitals and doctors to take better care of the patient
What are our responsibilities as public?
- Follow the advice/ instructions of the public health experts and government officials
- Don’t believe conspiracy theories, don’t be a prey and source of misinformation. victim target of misinformation and disinformation
- Don’t forward these unconfirmed messages on social media – break the chain of spreading misinformation
- Do not stay out and socialize unnecessarily. Don’t under estimate the impact it may cause
- Understand the seriousness of the disease and fulfill your responsibility
- Avoid exposure to elderly people and who have other illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes
- Stay clean – thoroughly washing hands with soaps a few times a day
- Use hand sanitizers and masks when at public place such as using public transport
- Cover when sneeze and cough – sneeze and cough in your upper part of the sleeve
- Avoid touching face, mouth, nose and eyes
