COVID-19
A Bird's Eye View of
the COVID-19 Pandemic
Is COVID-19 another name for Coronavirus?
No. That's a misunderstanding. Let us clarify it here for you.
“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 
(SARS-CoV)
SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in November 2002 and
caused severe acute respiratory syndroms (SARS). That virus disappeared by 2004.
(MERS-CoV)
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is caused by the MERS coronavirus (MERS-CoV). Transmitted from an animal reservoir in camels, MERS was identified in September 2012 and continues to cause sporadic and localized outbreaks.
(COVID-19)
The novel COVID-19, as most of us are aware, is the Coronavirus responsible for causing the recent and ongoing pandemic. It emerged from China in December 2019 and was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020.
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
Due to widespread lockdowns everywhere, hordes
of people in different parts of the world have been left
stranded without daily supplies of food and other essentials
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?
The most believable anecdote around the world, so far...
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.
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.
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.
(Adapted from WHO based patient information)
What symptoms does an infected individual show?
Symptoms may appear 2-14 days
after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.
(Adapted from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html)
Symptoms may not always appear soon after getting infected. It is during this asymptomatic phase that an infected person has the greatest chance of spreading the viral infection to others whom he / she comes in contact with.
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
However, the most important and the most reliable method of testing and confirming the COVID-19 infection is through the molecular diagnostics-based PCR test.
If infected, then what next?
You may have to quarantine yourself, that is, completely separated and secluded from other healthy people so that you do not transmit the
infection to them
Seek medical help. If you are young and do not have any other co-morbid conditions that can compromise your immunity, your body’s resistance will fight against the infection and you may suffer a mild to moderate disease for up to 7 to 10 days
However, those with an already weak immune system, those with co-morbid conditions like diabetes, heart problems, kidney problems,
asthma and other lung disorders, cancer patients and other immune-compromised individuals may suffer a much more severe course of illness
It may cause severe respiratory distress in such subgroups of patients requiring hospitalization and oxygenation / ventilatory support. The elderly and children and more vulnerable to a more serious form of the infection.
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
Treatment modalities like the plasma therapy wherein the plasma of an erstwhile infected and cured patient is infused into a current patient’s body are being used with some degree of success. Such plasma is thought to provoke the current patient’s body to produce antibodies that eliminate the virus. However, neither plasma therapy nor any other method has met with definite success. Hence, prevention is the only safeguard so far.
Recently, some pharma companies have got an approval for treating COVID-19 infected patients with an anti-viral drug called Remdesivir, based on clinical trial results.
Remdesivir has to be given intravenously to hospitalized patients with
a severe illness.
Recently, In India, Favipiravir has been approved as an oral medication
for management of mild to moderate cases.
What are the ways to prevent?
1. Physical distancing –
Stay home, stay safe, work from home, support gov ernment imposed lockdowns, do not crowd, keep a distance of at least 1 meter when in public
2. Masks and sanitizers –
Wear masks to prevent droplet infection from
reaching you and sanitize your hands at regular
intervals to kill any possible infecting germs
3. Build immunity –
Eat well. Sleep well. Do not panic or stress too much. Keep calm. Perform in-house exercises and meditation. Be positive.
4. Follow doctor’s advice –
if you are already suffering from an ailment,
make sure that you take your doctor’s advice
very seriously. It is essential that you diligently take your medication and adhere to other forms of treatment protocols meticulously to
avoid falling sick during the pandemic.
Is there a vaccine available?
No, there isn’t one yet. However, research teams across the world are working tirelessly to develop a vaccine at the earliest. Several clini cal trials are underway globally.
(Adapted from patient information released by the WHO)
