What Is COVID-19? Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention
A Bird's Eye View of
the COVID-19 Pandemic
“Coronavirus” represent a family of viruses that has different viral species included in it. The novel Covid-19 that has resulted in a global pandemic is just one such Coronavirus, from that large family of coronaviruses.
A Closer look at COVID-19
It’ll be interesting to know a bit in detail about coronaviruses before we take a closer look at COVID-19
Infections caused by most viral members of the Coronavirus family cause a mild to moderate upper respiratory tract infection and the patient presents with common flu-like symptoms Coronaviruses mostly circulate among animals. Sometimes those viruses jump to humans- called a spillover events-and can cause disease Four of the seven known coronaviruses that sicken people causes only mild to moderate disease. The infections resolve on their own with some supportive therapy in most cases However, in the past 2 decades, three members of coronavirus family (SARS, MERS and COVID-19) have caused distressing widespread illnesses, around the world 
Ref: Adapted from patient information info released by the NIH USA’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
What is this pandemic all about?
COVID-19: Cutting Through the Clutter and Getting the Facts Right
The novel COVID-19, a virus from the Coronavirus family has been the causative agent behind the current ongoing pandemic wherein lakhs of people across the globe have been infected and lakhs have lost their lives.
Owing to the pandemic, entire countries have been locked down, economies have shattered, a self-imposed curfew like
situation has spread across the world
COVID-19 has changed the way the world operated, brought it to a standstill, masks/sanitizers/PPE kits/isolation/physical distancing have become the order of the day and the world order has been impacted permanently
How did this viral infection enter humans?
It originated at a research lab at China’s Wuhan and perhaps from there got its way into Wuhan city’s wet meat market. Through the consumption of such infected meat, this virus that often resides in bats and pangolins, found its way into Wuhan’s residents, then into other Chinese cities.
From there on, as international air travel continued, the virus kept spreading through other parts of the world from China, its epicenter.
How does COVID-19 spread?
The disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth, which are expelled when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes, or speaks. These droplets are relatively heavy, do not travel far and quickly sink to ground.
People can catch COVID-19 if they breathe in these droplets from a person infected with the virus. This is why it is important to stay at least 1 meter (3 feet) away from others. These droplets can land on objects and surfaces around the person such as tables, doorknobs and handrails. People can become infected by touching theses objects or surfaces, then thouching their eyes, nose or mouth.
What symptoms does an infected individual show?
How can COVID-19 be diagnosed?
If you experience symptoms of dry cough, shortness of breath and fever, it is important that you reach out for medical help to a qualified physician at the earliest There are several rapid tests that have been developed for diagnosing COVID-19. Some tests can pick up the virus after your body has mounted a defense mechanism or an antibody esponse to it If infected, then what next?
If infected, what’s the treatment?
There is no definite cure for COVID-19 yet available. Doctors may put you on medications to control your symptoms like fever and pain and difficulty in breathing. However, these can just be supportive measures
What are the ways to prevent?
Is there a vaccine available?
