Coronavirus has got the entire world into its grip and by the speed, this virus is spreading, it has caught the attention of WHO and the governments all over the world. The said virus was reportedly originated in the Wuhan city of China through bats.
Here is everything that you need to know about the lethal coronavirus.
What is Coronavirus?
Coronavirus is a newly found virus from the corona family and it causes a respiratory illness called covid-19. The virus can spread through direct or indirect contact with an infected person through touch or cough. It can also spread when an infected person touches an object or surface on which the virus is present and then proceeds to touch his mouth or nose.
Who are prone?
No specific age demographic is proved to be completely immune from the virus but as per the initial reports, older people, infants or people with an underlying disease like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more prone to having a case of the illness.
How to prevent the virus?
As per the guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the best way to prevent or diminish the spread is to protect yourself from interacting with other people, regularly washing your hands for at least 20 seconds, avoid touching your face and staying at home.
How long does the virus last on surfaces?
Well, it depends on the type of surface we are talking about. Although there has not been a specific report to confirm this, here are the figures that are widely believed to be accurate.
- Air – 3 Hours
- Copper – 4 Hours
- Cardboard – 24 Hours
- Plastic & Stainless Steel – 72 Hours
Various studies in this regard show different results as a study shows that virus can stay on metal, plastic or glass for as long as nine days in lower temperatures (30 Degrees Celsius)
How to disinfect the surfaces?
One must clean and disinfect the surfaces that have been potentially exposed to the virus. For disinfecting the surfaces, one must use gloves and a mask. The gloves must be discarded after usage along with the mask.
- If the surfaces are dirty (sand), they must be initially cleaned using water and soap
- To disinfect, alcohol mixtures (at least 70% alcohol), diluted bleach mixtures and EPA-registered house disinfectants must be utilized for disinfection.
Diluted bleach must be used only at the right surface and as per the manufacturer’s instructions. The bleach solution can be prepared at home using a mixture of 5 tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water. Hand sanitizers must be kept handy.
When should I visit the doctor?
The symptoms of covid-19 are somewhat identical to common flu. The symptoms are fever, lethargy, headache, dry cough, difficulty in breathing (critical cases), diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, and sore throat.
What is the mortality rate?
As of now, as per WHO director the mortality rate is 3.4% but the same has been calculated as the no. of deaths out of total infected and this doesn’t take in consideration other unreported cases of infection, and after its consideration, the rate is at or below 1%.
