In this post, you will come across answers to some questions related to coronavirus or Covid-19.
Covid-19 or Coronavirus is the disease caused by a new coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. WHO or World Health Organization first learned of this new virus on 31 December 2019, following a report of a cluster of cases of ‘viral pneumonia’ in Wuhan, China.
Here are the most common symptoms of coronavirus:
- Fever
- Dry cough
- Fatigue
- Loss of taste or smell
- Nasal congestion
- Conjunctivitis (also known as red eyes)
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Muscle or joint pain
- Different types of skin rash
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Chills or dizziness
Symptoms of severe COVID‐19 disease include:
- Shortness of breath
- Loss of appetite
- Confusion
- Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
- High temperature (above 38 °C)
Other less common symptoms are:
- Irritability
- Confusion
- Reduced consciousness (sometimes associated with seizures)
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Sleep disorders
- More severe and rare neurological complications such as strokes, brain inflammation, delirium, and nerve damage.
Among those who come across symptoms of Covid-19, about 80% recover from the disease without needing to go to the hospital for treatment. Approximately 15% become seriously ill and require oxygen, and 5% become critically ill and need intensive care. Complications that may lead to a person’s death may include respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome, thromboembolism, multi-organ failure. In rare situations, children can come across a severe inflammatory syndrome a few weeks after infection.
Some people who get infected with coronavirus, whether they have needed hospitalization or not, continue to come across symptoms, including fatigue, respiratory and neurological symptoms.
World Health Organization or WHO is working with the Global Technical Network for Clinical Management of COVID-19, researchers, and patient groups across the world to design and carry out studies of patients beyond the initial acute course of illness to get the idea of the proportion of patients who have long term effects, how long they persist, and why they occur. These studies will be further used to develop guidance for patient care.
Antibiotics never work against viruses. Antibiotics only work on bacterial infections. COVID-19 or coronavirus is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not work. Antibiotics should not be used as a means of treatment or prevention of coronavirus.