Coronavirus is a type of virus that causes diseases in animals. In humas it attacks the respiratory system. But letal forms of the disease have developed lately including SARS; Severe acute respiratory syndrome,
MERS; Middle east respiratory syndrome, and currently, COVID- 19; Severe acute respiratory disease, now renamed coronavirus disease 2019.
Coronavirus disease 2019
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the latest from of the disease to hit the world. It is spreading fast.The disease is known to have been transfered from animals to man.There is presently no drugs to treat or prevent COVID-19 infections.
Symptoms of COVID-19
Symptoms generally start with sneezing, coughing and running nose, and then later complicates to shortness of breadth, pheomonia, kidney failure, fever, diarrhea, decrease of white blood cells, and eventually, death.
How COVID-19 is spread
The disease is spread by small droplets from infected people when they breathe, cough or sneeze.It is important that an infected person covers his or her mouth when coughing or sneezing and doesn’t come in close contact with people to prevent the spread of the disease.
Precautionary measures
WHO has released guidelines to prevent spread of infection which incudes;
- Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze,
- Washing your hands thoroughly especially when you have cold symptoms or in close contact with an infected person.
- Have meat and eggs well cooked.
- Not moving close to and infected person.
Incubation period and treatment of COVID-19
The incubation period of the disease is said to be between 2 to 14 days. Some cases of up to 24 days have also been reported. Fatality rate is less than 5% of the number of people infected.For many infected, the disease resolves on its own with the aid of some strong antibiotics, however there is no known drug that can directly treat or prevent the infection at this time.
