Covid 19 (Coronavirus): Do not Panic.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. They can cause diseases ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV). Some transmit easily from person to person while others do not. COVID-19 is a new disease that has not been previously identified in humans. 

China determined that a novel coronavirus is responsible for the outbreak of pneumonia in Wuhan Province. Authorities in China and worldwide are conducting further investigations to better understand where the disease came from, how it is spread and the clinical severity of illness in humans.

Those with COVID-19 may have little to no symptoms. You may not know you have symptoms of COVID-19 because they are similar to a cold or flu. Let me say that again – lots of patients who have had this virus got sick like a cold/flu and got better. They did not need a hospital, or a physician or heath resources. They just got better and now have resistance to this virus.

Chicken Pox or Varicella is a virus which infects humans, like Coronavirus. Prior to the vaccination for Varicella, people got the Chicken pox. Some were very very ill, most were not. Most got better and after they finished the illness they developed resistance and rarely got Chicken Pox again. The widespread vaccination against VSV (Chicken Pox) has lessened its presence in society and this will happen for Covid-19 also. A vaccine will likely be available in about a year. This virus will still be around in a year - and we will not all yet have had the illness - the vaccine will be good for society.

Symptoms have included:

• fever

• cough

• difficulty breathing

• pneumonia in both lungs

• an unfortunate few have died from this illness

For now, there is no specific treatments for most people with COVID-19. Most people with common coronavirus illness will recover on their own. At this time, there is no vaccine for COVID-19. Your health care provider may recommend steps you can take to relieve symptoms. 

You can stay healthy and prevent the spread of infections by:

• washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds;

• avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands;

• avoiding close contact with people who are sick;

• coughing or sneezing into your sleeve and not your hands; and

• staying home if you are sick to avoid spreading illness to others

If you are a healthy individual, the use of a mask is not necessary. However, if you are experiencing symptoms of an illness that spreads through the air (like Covid-19), wearing a mask can help prevent the spread of the infection to others. The mask acts as a barrier and helps stop the tiny droplets from spreading around you when you cough or sneeze. Your health provider may recommend you wear a mask while you are seeking or waiting for care. In this instance, masks are an appropriate part of infection prevention and control measures that are put in place so that people with an infectious respiratory illness do not transmit the infection to others. We do not all have to go and buy masks.

In China and other parts of the world the population density is higher. Where people are very close together spread of the virus is easier. You don’t have to avoid groups of pople – but like with the flu or Chicken pox – being in close proximity to people who are sick risks transmission.  If you get this virus – you will most likely get sick (similar to other respiratory viruses) and you will most likely recover. This does not mean that in the USA we have to cancel all hockey games and concerts.

While experts believe that spread from a person who is asymptomatic (not showing any symptoms) is possible, this is considered to be rare at this time. What we do know for certain is that COVID-19 is most often being spread through close contact with a person who is showing symptoms (symptomatic cases). So based on the latest available data, the main driver of the COVID-19 outbreak is symptomatic cases. That means the primary focus for containing the COVID-19 outbreak is to prevent exposure through direct and close contact with people who are sick from this virus.

In general, coronaviruses have poor survivability on surfaces, and are generally thought to be spread by respiratory droplets left behind after someone coughs or sneezes. So it is less likely to pick this up from a door handle or other object.

In the meantime, the best way to prevent respiratory and other illnesses is to:

• avoid touching the eyes, nose and mouth; 

• consistently use good hand hygiene measures, which include frequent handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available; 

• maintain good respiratory etiquette, such as covering your mouth and nose with your arm or sleeve when coughing and sneezing, disposing of any used tissues as soon as possible, and following with handwashing or use of alcohol-based hand sanitizers where soap and water are not available; 

• regularly clean and disinfect surfaces with regular household cleaners.

This is not a time to panic. Hopefully this information helps.