Coronavirus: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms And Prevention
As of this writing (February 28, 2020), 82,104 cases of coronavirus have been declared and 2,744 have died worldwide And although almost all cases are found in China, the virus has crossed borders and the fear of a global pandemic is being more harmful to society than the germ itself.
Below we will analyze the nature of this virus, detailing both the causes of contagion and its symptoms, as well as its real severity. Because as we will see later, the coronavirus is not much more dangerous than the flu.
In fact, the flu kills almost half a million people every year. Where is the news? Where is the fear? The difference between the Wuhan coronavirus and the flu is, basically, that the first is new and the second is not And fear, in the field of public health, is our worst enemy.
The Wuhan coronavirus, also called Covid-19, is a virus of the Coronavirus family that has recently emerged in China for reasons that remain unclear. Be that as it may, it is a new virus that infects the cells of the lungs, causing pneumonia with severe symptoms.
The problem with the virus is not its lethality, which, as we will see later, is not higher than that of other common diseases. It is its ease of transmission between people and the fact that it is an “unknown” to our immune system that is causing panic around the world.
What must be made very clear is that the coronavirus is not going to cause a mass extinction, that young and/or healthy people have nothing to worry about, since the greatest enemy we face is not the virus itself, but the state of alarm that the media is inciting and the “fake news” and hoaxes that are spreading uncontrollably on the Internet.
How is it spread?
The problem with the coronavirus is that it meets the ideal conditions to cause a pandemic worldwide, and we are not talking about deaths, we are talking about the number of cases. And the transmission of the virus between people is possible and, in addition, it follows the most effective route of contagion for viruses: the air
The coronavirus is transmitted between people through respiratory droplets that an infected person generates when talking, coughing or sneezing. These “saliva droplets” are microscopic and are what transport the virus through the air.
Once expelled into the air, these droplets can fall directly onto a healthy person or settle on inanimate objects. If they fall on a person, they may inhale them directly and they reach their lungs, thus opening the doors for the virus to their respiratory system, or they may go to their hands or other parts of the body and then, in If the person bites their nails, puts their hands on their face, scratches their eyes, etc., they can also allow the virus to enter their body.
But what must be clear is that these respiratory particles cannot travel in the air more than 1 meter, as they end up quickly falling to the ground due to the simple action of gravity.
And another way, which is the one that generates the most fear, is that it can be infected by touching objects contaminated with particles with the virus. But this must be qualified. And while it is true that the virus can be transmitted through coins, tables, doorknobs, credit cards, armrests, etc., it lasts very little time outside the human body. In fact, within a few hours of being on one of these objects, it dies.
Therefore, yes, it is quite contagious, but in the same way as the common cold or flu. It is not some extremely contagious “super” virus. The probability of contagion is no greater than that of other viral diseases that follow this route of contagion.
The coronavirus is not transmitted by domestic animals or mosquito bites, nor can we be infected after receiving a package or letter from China.
What symptoms do you have?
The coronavirus infects the cells of the lungs and begins to damage them, so the disease has aggressive symptoms but not very different from pneumonia: difficulty breathing, headache, fever, chills, general malaise, weakness and fatigue , runny nose, diarrhea…
And here comes the important thing: in 98% of cases, the problems end here. The hospitalization of those affected should not be a cause for alarm, since people who have pneumonia are also admitted. It is the best way to control symptoms, prevent complications from appearing and, very importantly, reduce the risk of the virus continuing to spread.
Avoiding contagion by hospitalizing those affected does not mean that it will be responsible for an apocalypse, but health systems cannot risk having all hospitals filled with people with this disease, as they would not be able to offer services to everyone. world.
Because although it is normal that it is scary to hear and know that a new virus is spreading at high speed and that some people are dying, It must be made clear that serious complications (including death) are reserved almost exclusively for the at-risk population which, as with the flu, are the elderly and the immunosuppressed.
Is it very lethal?
No. The coronavirus is not very lethal. At least, no more than a flu. And the mortality rate is 2.3%. That is, for every 100 infected, about 2 people die. But do we know which one is the flu? The flu has a mortality rate of, although it depends on the virus that circulates in each season, 1.9%.
Millions of cases of influenza are diagnosed each year around the world and between 300,000 and 600,000 people die. This happens every year but the alarms do not go off, because young and healthy people have no problem with the flu, it resolves on its own.
Therefore, the coronavirus is not very lethal. Diseases like Ebola are very lethal, with a fatality rate that can reach 90%. 2.3% is nothing in comparison, since the majority of deaths due to coronavirus have been in the elderly, immunosuppressed, asthmatics, diabetics, and cancer patients.
For 98% of the population, coronavirus disease will be no more serious than pneumonia, and they will recover without major complications after a few days. We repeat, what is doing the most damage is fear, not the virus.
Can it be prevented and treated?
Prevention is possible and, although there is no cure, treatments can be offered to reduce its severity and prevent the development of complications. When it comes to prevention, although this is difficult since it is transmitted through the air, there are ways to reduce the risk of being infected.
Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, avoid crowds of people if you live in a place where cases have been diagnosed, wear a mask, do not touch too many objects on the street or on public transport, do not approach people who are coughing or sneezing. … It is also important to remember that there is currently no vaccine and that despite what has been said, vaccines against pneumonia do not work.
And when it comes to treatment, although it is true that there is no cure, this should not set off alarm bells. There is no cure for any viral disease. We are still not able to treat a common cold or the flu. In the case of coronavirus disease, we must let the body itself neutralize the virus.
What hospitals offer are supportive therapies to relieve symptoms and reduce the risk of developing serious complications, because obviously the risk exists. But the treatments offered in hospitals, keeping the patient under observation, monitoring clinical signs and administering antiviral drugs are the best strategy to help the body eliminate the virus.
And in the vast majority of cases, as long as these hospital aids can be offered, the body will overcome the disease. Therefore, seeing that governments are closing air connections with other countries or recommending not going out should not alarm us. They do this not because it is a very deadly pathogen, but to minimize the number of cases and thus ensure that those who become ill can receive the necessary medical support.
So is there reason to be alarmed?
It is totally normal for us to feel fear, as it is a natural survival response But amid this uncertainty we must base ourselves on what we know for sure about the virus, and that is that it is objectively no more dangerous than a simple flu. We have all suffered the flu at some point and nothing has happened. With this virus, the same.
Furthermore, we must bear in mind that the media tries to sell and “take advantage” of this novelty and that the governments’ strategies and recommendations are not because this virus is going to kill us all, but because it is necessary to minimize the number of cases so that all people who are going to be infected can receive the necessary treatment to ensure that their body resolves the disease on its own.
