Coronavirus: Causes and 7 Best Prevention Tips
Contents
Overview
Yes, Corona virus! The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. It was the first known pandemic caused by a coronavirus.
In the previous 100 years, there had been four pandemics caused by new flu viruses (1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009). Because of this, much pandemic planning was built around flu, and those plans were adapted for COVID-19.
Public health agencies such as the CDC describe pandemics in phases: investigation, recognition, initiation, acceleration, deceleration and preparation for future waves. Illness usually peaks near the end of the acceleration phase and then declines.
Different countries, and different parts of the same country, can be at different stages of an epidemic at the same time.
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in people and many animals, including camels, cattle, cats and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can infect people and then spread between people, as happened with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and now SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
In January 2020, Chinese health authorities confirmed that the new virus was spreading from person to person. It then spread rapidly around the world.
The early months of the pandemic changed quickly. Since then, vaccines and antiviral treatments have become available, and in May 2023 the WHO said COVID-19 was no longer a global health emergency. It remains an ongoing health issue.
COVID-19 spreads mainly through respiratory droplets and smaller airborne particles when an infected person breathes, talks, coughs or sneezes. Crowded, poorly ventilated indoor spaces carry the highest risk.
The Severity of the Corona Virus
COVID-19 ranges from no symptoms or mild illness to severe disease and death. Early data from China showed that most cases were mild, but a meaningful share of people developed severe illness.
Older people and people of any age with chronic conditions, such as heart disease, lung disease, diabetes or a weakened immune system, are at higher risk of serious illness.
In 2020, widespread transmission meant many people needed care at the same time. Schools, daycares and workplaces faced absences, events were canceled or postponed, and hospitals in many places were overwhelmed.
At the start of the pandemic, there was no vaccine and no approved treatment. Measures such as distancing, masks and handwashing were the main tools for slowing the spread. Today, vaccines and antiviral medicines are available, and people at high risk should seek testing and treatment promptly if they get sick.
Corona Virus is worse than normal influenza, why? And how worried are the experts?
Early in the pandemic, estimates of the COVID-19 death rate ranged from well below 1% in young people to several percent among older people and those with underlying health conditions. It was clearly deadlier than seasonal flu for older adults.
By comparison, the WHO estimates that seasonal flu causes about 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths worldwide each year. SARS, in 2003, killed about 1 in 10 people it infected.
COVID-19 also spread very easily, and at first there was no vaccine, which made it hard for older adults and people with weak immune systems to protect themselves. Getting a yearly flu vaccine also helps by reducing the strain on health services.
Different ways to protect yourself From Coronavirus:
The CDC's prevention guidance focuses on a few core steps. Here are seven ways to lower your risk:
- Stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccines. They greatly reduce the risk of severe illness, hospitalization and death.
- Wash your hands: Wet your hands with clean, running water. Apply soap and lather your hands, including the backs, between your fingers and under your nails. Scrub for at least 20 seconds and then rinse.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the bin and wash your hands.
- Stay home and away from others if you have a fever, cough, sore throat or other respiratory symptoms.
- Improve airflow indoors by opening windows, using fans or air filters, and spending time outdoors when you gather with others.
- Wear a well-fitting mask in crowded indoor places, especially if you are sick or at high risk. Well-fitting masks and respirators, such as N95s, can help lower the risk of spreading and catching the virus.
- Get tested early and call your doctor if you have risk factors for severe illness. Antiviral treatment needs to start within a few days of symptoms.
Seek emergency care if you have trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure, new confusion, or bluish lips or face.
