The Coronavirus: Myth Buster – Frankie Stenning
What is the Coronavirus?
A virus, as defined by Oxford dictionary, is an organism, that is too small to be seen without a microscope, that causes infectious diseases in people, animals, and plants. Coronaviruses tend to originate from animals. This type has not yet been identified to an individual species although bats, snakes, and fish are the rumored ones to have spread this disease from animals to humans. Coronaviruses are given their name due to a crown-shaped appearance when viewed under a microscope. They attack the body by hijacking another human cell and using it to reproduce more of the virus until eventually the cell – and potentially the entire human being – dies. Normally, the human immune system is strong enough to prevent the pathogens from seriously affecting the body but this is not always the case for everyone. Various different conditions can weaken the immune system. As the virus is not destroyed completely in everyone, viruses can spread with ease and end up with a large number of people suffering from it, like now with this newest Coronavirus. Symptoms of the virus does not mean death though: normally these are signs of the immune system working. This Coronavirus of 2020 does not seem to differ greatly from the other types in terms of symptoms and how it is spread.
What are the symptoms of this virus?
As with most Coronavirus symptoms and many diseases that circulate in the winter months, the 2020 coronavirus has very similar symptoms to common colds and the flu virus. The first and most common symptoms are a fever and a cough. In some cases, this can progress into a viral form of pneumonia, causing shortness of breath as well as difficulty with breathing. For those with weaker immune systems, such as the elderly, the young or those suffering from other ailments that weaken the immune system, the Coronavirus can cause organ failure and so machines are needed to help support the lungs and potentially other organs to keep the person alive. Let this be a reminder that these extremely severe symptoms only occur in a minority of examples as many people have perfectly healthy immune systems that will be able to fight off the disease with a fair amount of ease.
Additionally, as the symptoms are similar to the flu or common colds – do not panic if you discover the symptoms of your illness match that of the 2020 coronavirus. The only way you can contract the illness is by being in the same area as someone who is suffering from the disease themselves. This is the same as common colds and flu. Therefore, stay away from doctors unless you are suffering from severe symptoms that really need medical attention or if you have been in contact with someone infected by the coronavirus recently. Also make sure you’ve had a flu jab as although this won’t protect you from the coronavirus or common colds it will help to prevent you getting the flu for this year.
How do you protect yourself from it?
As with most diseases that are largely untreatable medically (at least currently), the recommendation is simple. Make sure to constantly wash your hands and cough or sneeze into the bend of an elbow. If being in a place where the coronavirus has known to be, remain at home for 14 days to make sure that the risk of the infection spreading person to person is reduced. If symptoms do occur in this time period, immediately call the hospital. Therefore, another method of protection is to avoid people and places that are or were infected by the virus. As coronaviruses tend to be transmitted from animals, in markets and farms avoid contact with animals or meat that you do not know about. Lastly, face masks are also a great way to prevent droplets if cough or snot from being inhaled and so reduce the risk of not only catching the coronavirus but also the flu and common colds.
What is happening in the UK?
In the UK only 2 people have been identified to have the disease. The risk of infection is therefore unchanged in the UK. Flights landing in the UK from China are all being checked and placed in mandatory 14 day quarantines to make sure the virus is contained. Furthermore, people who have entered the country from the infected places are being watched so that if any symptoms do develop they can easily be placed in hospital to treat them and prevent it spreading. It is much more likely the virus will enter our country from Europe as these flights are not (currently) checked for the disease. Nevertheless, the disease in Europe is also not yet a crisis as few people have contracted it on the mainland. Therefore, our government and the health department are doing all they can to stay on top of the disease and protect us from it with success.
What is happening in China?
There have been over 17,000 confirmed cases in China of the coronavirus with around 360 confirmed deaths. These deaths, however, have been largely those with weaker immune systems as mentioned above under the symptoms. As a response to these deaths the Chinese government is trying to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. They are preventing public transport systems from leaving or moving around the areas of high numbers of confirmed cases. Additionally, to try and stop the disease from causing worldwide deaths as a result of the virus, they are stopping flights from leaving the country. In China, the crisis is still worsening but do know that the government and health departments are acutely aware of this and are doing their best to prevent and slow the spread of the coronavirus in China as well as across the Earth.
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