It is
challenging to know at early stages when you are infected by the novel coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 disease. There is a
most common and rare symptom loss of smell that could signal you must be
tested. According to Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch, the virus could ultimately infect between 40% and
70% of the population worldwide. Some people might show no symptoms at all but many
of those cases would be mild, while the prospect of being infected with a new
virus can be devastating. The most symptoms, as per the Centre for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), are fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
These symptoms usually appear between two days and two weeks of exposure to the
virus. Doctors recently added "loss of smell" as a potential
symptom that may show up alone without any other symptoms, Live Science reported.
As per the Journal of the
American Medical Association, as many as 98% of COVID-19 patients
who were hospitalized had a fever, between 76% and 82% had a dry cough, and 11%
to 44% reported exhaustion and fatigue. As per the current WHO ( World
Health Organisation ) reports the coronavirus pandemic has killed more than
21,000 people worldwide, most of them in Europe. Most affected nations have called
for complete lockdown to stop spread of the deadly virus.
The WHO said on 25th March, 2020 that countries which
have locked down their populations to prevent the spread of the coronavirus
need to use the time to find and attack the virus. With 7,503 deaths, Italy is
the most affected country ahead of Spain with 3,434 and China with 3,281, the
country where the initial outbreak occurred. The United States has also seen
over 900 deaths and some 60,000 infections.
Coronavirus has now spread to over 190
countries across the world affecting billions of people. "Asking people to
stay at home and shutting down population movement is buying time, and reducing
pressure on health systems. On their own these measures won't extinguish
epidemics," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus*. *As per the
Reports from India Today.
Physicians work with state health
departments and the CDC to determine who should be tested for the new virus.
However, the CDC also recommends that people with COVID-19 or any respiratory
illness monitor their symptoms carefully. If you become ill with the said
symptoms and think you have been exposed to the virus, the CDC recommends
calling your doctor first rather than traveling to a clinic Worsening shortness
of breath is reason to seek medical care, particularly for older individuals or
people with underlying health conditions. The CDC information page has more
information on what to do if you are sick.
The disease appears to become more
severe with age, with the 30- to 79-year-old age range predominating the
detected cases in Wuhan, where the outbreak began, according to a study in
JAMA. Children seem to be at less risk of suffering noticeable symptoms of the
disease. However, a recent study of 2,000 children confirmed or suspected to
have COVID-19 found that 6% developed severe or critical illness. The study is
detailed in the March 16 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
In more serious cases of COVID-19,
patients experience pneumonia, which means their lungs begin to fill with
pockets of pus or fluid. This leads to intense shortness of breath and painful
coughing.
Ultimately, the decisions about who should be tested are left to the
discretion of state and local health departments, according to the CDC. However
Govts in various countries have taken right decision to lock down. This is one
of the best strategy to control the further spread of the Corona Virus. But the
problem is that few people in general not observing it seriously and taking it
casual.
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