The coronavirus (COVID-19) has been spread to many countries. On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of a cluster of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause detected in Wuhan City and on 3rd March 2020, six cases of confirmed coronavirus have been reported in India. But in their recent survey, it has reached 145 cases in india till now according to the latest News. The WHO has declared the coronavirus pandemic as a global health emergency.
With new cases coming up into knowledge, more new laboratories have been set to establish for the test of coronavirus In India, 62 labs are functional to test the novel coronavirus so far.
Travelers entering India from multiple affected countries are being thoroughly examined & screened for the virus & will be kept under examination.
What are the sign & symptoms of coronavirus:
Coronavirus is a respiratory disease that seems to start with a fever, dry cough, mild chills, fatigue and after a week, it is followed by shortness of breath and a few patients require hospital treatment if it gets worse.
These symptoms don’t necessarily mean you’ve got the illness. They’re almost like those for far more common viruses, like colds and flu.
In more severe cases, coronavirus can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, which may cause multiple organ failure and even death also.
People with pre-existing medical history (like asthma, diabetes, heart disease), are more likely to become severely ill if they get infected.
The incubation period – the period between the infection and showing any symptoms – lasts up to 14 days, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) says. But some researchers say that it may be up to 24 days also.
How can you Protect others from Getting sick :
1. When coughing & sneezing cover your mouth & nose with tissue paper & napkin.
2. Throw that tissue paper into a closed dustbin immediately after use.
3. Clean your hand with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer or wash your hand nicely with soap after coughing or sneezing or when you are taking care of a sick person.
4. Avoid close contact when you are experiencing cough & fever & try to stay six feet away. If that’s not possible, even a little distancing is helpful according to some experts, as the virus seems to spread through droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze.
5. Avoid spitting in public areas.
6. If you have fever, cough, chills & followed by difficulty in breathing seek immediate medical attention & share your traveling history with your doctor.
7. Avoid traveling if you have a fever or cough/ cold.
8. If you become sick while traveling inform your crew & seek medical care immediately.
When to Wash Your Hands:
1. After coughing & sneezing.
2. When caring for the sick.
3. Before & After you prepare the food.
4. Before eating anything.
5. After using the washroom & toilets.
6. After handling animals & their wastes.
7. When you see dirty hands.
8. After shaking hands with the affected person.
Need to understand how a coronavirus spreads?
It is yet not known exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person but similar viruses spread when the droplets from sick people get into your eyes, nose or mouth of the healthy person. So if you see someone who is coughing or sneezing /sick, then you try to maintain a distance that will keep you safe from droplets. Or else give them a mask so that everyone nearby also gets protected.
Try to avoid social gatherings & crowds, because you don’t know who might be sick, because infected people may not show any signs & symptoms initially but are still infected.
However sometimes sick people saliva can get on other things like their hands, doorknobs, pens, digital devices, cups, tissues, etc, or even outside of your face mask and if you touch any of these things by accident and then wipe your face, rub your eyes or eat something without washing your hands then you might get sick.
Coronavirus, when it falls on the surfaces it will last up to a few hours the only effective way to get rid of them is to wash them with soap & on hands putting an alcohol sterilizer in pockets, meets the purpose of prevention.
What are the precautions I should do to prevent & catch infections?
Yes, using Facemask N95 will help you to prevent infection, protection against coronavirus according to some medical experts, It is something better than nothing.
Here are some precautions that you should follow:
1. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap & water for at least 20 seconds nicely after touching a suspected surface.
2. Try to wear a mask, gloves, gowns while caring for an infected person.
3. Practice respiratory hygiene by covering your mouth & nose with your bent elbow.
4. Cover your cough if you have a disposable mask & discard them in a covered waste bin .dont use the mask for more than one day. ( bacteria grow into the inside of your mask if you wear them too long, also don’t touch the outside cover of the mask if you can .if do then no need to worry wash your hands nicely with soap.
5. Avoid coming into contact with people who are sick & avoid sharing personal items like food items, cups, towels, etc and try to stay two - six feet away. If that’s not possible, even a little distancing is helpful according to some experts, as the virus seems to spread through droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze.
6. Avoid touching your eyes, ears, mouth, nose.
7. If you have a fever, cough, difficulty in breathing, etc Seek medical help immediately. Share your plan travels with your health advisor.
8. Avoid social gatherings.
9. Sick animals & affected animals should not be eaten.
10. Wear Protective gowns, gloves, masks, etc while handling animals & their product.
11. Avoid touching stray animals.
12. Avoid traveling if you have a fever & a cough.
13. Eat only well-cooked food.
14. Eating garlic is an effective way of treating colds, coughs and also helps to ease asthma, but no evidence eating garlic will prevent coronavirus. Also drinking hot water & gargling with warm water & salt will kill the tonsils germs & prevent leaking into the lungs.
Conclusion:
So far, specimens of suspected novel coronavirus patients are tested at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Delhi, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)’s laboratories at Alappuzha, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, besides the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune. All these labs are work under the guidance of NIV. To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and development efforts with a range of partners. Till now follow all the precautions to prevent coronavirus & stay safe as much as we can.