A quick and accessible FAQ. More to be added.
This virus is still too "young" for some of our most common questions to be answered with guarantees (i.e, if you can get re-infected after recovering). Please add any questions or corrections in the topic and we will be updating it as we go.
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What Is COVID-19?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - COVID-19 is the name given to the
disease associated with the virus.
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the name given to the 2019 novel corona
virus.
SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans.
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What are the symptoms of COVID-19?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - The virus can cause mild, flu-like symptoms such as:
- fever
- cough
- difficulty breathing
- muscle pain
- tiredness
Some patients — particularly the elderly and others with other chronic health conditions — develop a severe form of pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock that can lead to death.
The incubation period for COVID-19 (i.e. the time between exposure to the virus and onset of symptoms) is currently estimated at between two and 14 days. At this stage, we know that the virus can be transmitted when people who are infected show flu-like symptoms such as coughing. There is evidence suggesting that transmission can occur from an infected person with no symptoms; however, uncertainties remain about the effect of transmission by non symptomatic persons on the epidemic.
How does the infection progress when the new coronavirus gets a foothold in your body?It usually starts with a cough. Then a low fever. Then the low fever turns into a high fever and you get shortness of breath.
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How is this new virus different from the earlier known coronaviruses that spread SARS or MERS?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - SARS-CoV2 is different in 4 critical ways:
First, many infected people have no symptoms for days, so they can unknowingly infect others, and we don’t know who to isolate. This is very worrisome because SARS-CoV2 is highly infectious.
Second, 80% of the time, COVID-19 is a mild disease that feels like a minor cold or cough, so we don’t isolate ourselves, and infect others.
Third, the symptoms are easily confused with the flu, so many people think they have the flu and don’t consider other possibilities.
Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, the virus is very easy to spread from human to human because in the early stages it is concentrated in the upper throat. The throat is full of viral particles so when we cough or sneeze, billions of these particles can be expelled and transmitted to another person.
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COVID-19 compared to the seasonal flu. What’s the right way to frame this comparison? For example, are the seasonal flu and coronavirus equally dangerous?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - The seasonal flu typically infects up to 30 million people a year in the U.S., and fewer than 1/10th of 1% of the infected group will die – but that is still a big number. Worldwide, in an average year, a total of 300,000 people die from seasonal flu. But, on an average basis,
the new coronavirus is 10-20 times more deadly, and in contrast to influenza, we cannot protect ourselves through vaccination.Despite the relatively low mortality rate for seasonal influenza, many people die from the disease due to the large number of people who contract it each year. The concern about COVID-19 is that, unlike influenza,
there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the disease. It also appears to be as transmissible as influenza if not more so. As it is a new virus,
nobody has prior immunity which in theory means that the entire human population is potentially susceptible to COVID-19 infection.
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Someone can be infected with the new virus and never show symptoms at all?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - Unfortunately, yes.
Many infected people do not show any symptoms for the first few days and then a mild cough or low fever shows up. This is the opposite of SARS, where you had clear symptoms for a few days but were only contagious when sick.
If you have no symptoms, can you still infect other people?Yes. And that makes it much more difficult to slow the spread.
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How deadly is the new virus?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - Most scientists believe that it kills 1% to 2% of all the people who become infected. The WHO currently reports a higher figure of more than 3%, but that estimate is likely to come down as they figure out how to count many unreported or mild cases. Mortality is
clearly higher in older people and those with underlying conditions.Is the average death rate the figure to focus on?Not really. You can drown in an “average” of 3 inches of water. A better way to understand the risks are recognizing that it can be deadly for certain groups of people and much less so for other groups – with a wide range of outcomes.
So what are the numbers and checkpoints to focus on?80% of the time it’s a mild disease, but in 20% of cases it becomes more severe, with the worst cases reporting high fever or shortness of breath. As a result some people require hospitalization, and some will need intensive care to survive through a few critical days when their lungs are extensively infected.
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Which groups of people are most at danger here?--- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - --- -- --- --- - --- -- - The older you are, the higher your risk. Also at greater risk are people with underlying diseases such as diabetes, chronic obstructive lung disease and pulmonary disease or cardiovascular disease or immune deficiencies.
How much danger do these high-risk groups face?Their mortality rate can be as high as 10% or even 15%. And, your risk increases when you have more health conditions. The scientific data about all of this is regularly updated on the web.
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How can I avoid getting infected?The virus enters your body via your eyes, nose and/or mouth, so it is important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.
Washing of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or cleaning hands with alcohol-based solutions, gels or tissues is recommended in all settings.
It is also recommended to stay 1 metre or more away from people infected with COVID-19 who are showing symptoms, to reduce the risk of infection through respiratory droplets.
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Replies sourced from the links below.
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