Friday, April 03, 2020

COVID-19 and novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 information and links

Some information I have collected about COVID-19 follows.


Terminology

  • COVIDー19 is a disease (now pandemic), an illness caused by a coronavirus
  • SARSーCoVー2 is a novel coronavirus (type of virus) that causes COVID-19
  • Isolation is for sick people with symptoms
  • Quarantine is for people who are at risk of infection.

Australian government advice and information


COVID-19 disease

  • COVIDー19 is is not the flu, it is 3-4 times more contagious and has much higher mortality rate that is likely to be between 0.5% to 6%. 
  • A vaccine could be 12-18 months away 
  • Among the over 3,700 passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise liner who tested positive for COVID-19, more than 46% were not showing symptoms at the time they were tested.
  • Asymptomatic infection is common in children, occurring in 10-30% of cases.

Current Advice in Australia as at 4 April 2020

  • If you can stay home, you must stay home.
  • Non-essential travel is restricted across Australia
  • All recreational activities beyond basic exercise are not allowed.  This includes fishing, hunting, boating, camping and golf.

Basic protective measures

  • Wash your hands frequently - Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
  • Maintain social distancing - maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing. When self isolating people should maintain social distancing from other family members within households.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth - hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.
  • Practice respiratory hygiene - make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
  • Seek medical care early if you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing - If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Some questions about COVID-19

Should schools be kept open during the COVID-19 pandemic?

 Does everyone who recovers from infection develop immunity?  There are reports of some people developing the disease again after recovering.

Will a vaccine for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 ) be developed?  The common cold is also a coronavirus, there is no vaccine for it.  There is no vaccine for SARS (SARS-CoV virus) or MERS ( MERS-CoV) [link]

Why is COVID-19 so infectious?
  • Infected people can spread the virus while they show no symptoms
  • The virus can be spread on tiny droplets from coughing.
  • The virus can be spread by touching contaminated surfaces then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

How long can COVID-19 persist on surfaces? Reports indicate that the time it survives depends on the type of surface. Under experimental conditions the virus remained viable:
  • in air - for  three hours
  • on copper surface for four hours
  • on cardboard surface after 24 hours.
  • on stainless steel and plastic surfaces - up to 72 hours
Why do up to half of people infected by COVID-19 show no symptoms? (asymptomatic)

Why is COVID-19 fatal for some people? 
  • The virus has caused severe respiratory disease in about 20 per cent of patients and killed more than 3 per cent of confirmed cases [link].
  • Older people, whose immune defences have declined with age are more susceptible
  • People with underlying health conditions (comorbidities) including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, diabetes and cancer are much more vulnerable [link]
  • Some infected healthy people have an immune overreaction, known as a 'cytokine storm', that can cause acute respiratory distress, which means less oxygen reaches the bloodstream - depriving organs of the oxygen they need.
What is the incubation period for COVID-19?
  • The median incubation period for COVID-19 is just over 5 days and 97.5% of people who develop symptoms will do so within 11.5 days of infection [link]
  • People may be infectious when they display no symptoms - this is under investigation.
Is COVID-19 like AIDS?
  • Researchers in China and the US have found that the virus that causes Covid-19 can destroy the T cells that are supposed to protect the body from harmful invaders
  • One doctor said concern is growing in medical circles that effect could be similar to HIV [link]

Links

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