COVID-19: Top 5 Blogs About Health to Read

COVID-19 is a disease that is transmitted between animals and human beings. Once the virus gets into your respiratory system, you can spread it to all the people around you. At the moment, the virus has circulated in more than one hundred countries and killed more than 9700 people.

1. Major nations affected

Over the last couple of days, there have been more cases reported outside China than within the nation. For instance, in the United States, there have been more than ten thousand reported cases and at least 150 deaths with fifty states reporting positive cases. While most of the cases have been related to travel, an increasing number of these cases were caused by person to person spread particularly in California and Washington.

2. How the virus spreads

The coronavirus spreads when droplets are released through sneezing or coughing. Further, it can be transmitted by touching unclean objects such as a door handle or desk and then touching your nose, mouth or eyes.

Extended contact with individuals showing COVID-19 symptoms over time increases the chances of contracting the virus. There have been numerous reports of the spread of this virus. And this is something health professionals are working on.

3. Symptoms to watch out for

Some of the common symptoms of COVID-19 include a fever, shortness of breath, headache and a cough. Health officials have reported that most cases had showed mild symptoms. And individuals would manage themselves at home as if they were treating a common flu or cold. In some cases, symptoms may progress resulting in a worsening cough and a heavy chest. These symptoms require immediate medical attention.

4. People with the highest risk

At the moment, the people with the highest risk are the elderly and those with underlying chronic conditions such as lung disease, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. People with low immune systems also have a higher risk of infection.

5. The fatality rate

The fatality rate at the moment has been reported to be 3.4%. It is reported that the number of cases is quite high due to the mild symptomatic individuals who weren’t medically evaluated and tested. Therefore, it’s likely that the true fatality rate is quite low. Some medical experts believe that the true mortality rate is less than one percent.

6. Protecting yourself

Since WHO labeled COVID-19 a pandemic, most people around the world got anxious and fearful. The best thing you can do is arming yourself with the facts to avoid panic. Once you know the facts, you’ll easily make informed decisions.

Everyone needs to practice good hygiene which includes washing hands with an antibacterial soap and water every time you visit a public place or touch contaminated objects. If you can’t access soap and water, studyclerk recommends using an alcohol-based sanitizer. You should also avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes as much as possible. If you have to, use a tissue.

Social distancing is another great measure that will protect you. Keeping your distance especially with people showing symptoms is important. Avoid shaking hands or touching other people. If you start showing any symptoms of COVID-19, it’s important to isolate yourself to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. If you are employed, consider discussing with your boss a sick leave or work from policy to reduce exposure.

If you are healthy, you need not wear a facemask in public. Traditional facemasks, like the one you can see on the image above, do not protect people against airborne viruses effectively. People who are showing these symptoms should wear facemasks to prevent exposing others.

7. Testing and detecting the virus

Medical professionals can test and detect if you are positive or negative. Medical professionals will measure your body temperature and analyze your respiratory symptoms especially if you’ve recently traveled to China, Japan, Italy, South Korea, and Iran.

If you had close contact with someone who tested positive, you might be required to isolate yourself for fourteen days to reduce the risk of exposing others. Your doctor will outline the steps that you should take to recover quickly.

At the moment, there is no vaccine for COVID-19. However, several trials are ongoing to see if they might have a breakthrough.

Novel Coronavirus image for article 2222332 — COVID-19, more commonly referred to as the Coronavirus.

Conclusion

If someone is showing the symptoms in your community, you should contact the local authorities as soon as possible. Knowing the facts about coronavirus will prevent stigma and enable you to make informed decisions that will keep you safe in the long run. By reading these blogs regularly, you’ll be a step ahead of the crowd.

Bio

Harry Southworth is a leading editor and content writer. He likes researching and keeping the world informed on important health issues. During his leisure time, he travels with friends or hikes in the mountains.

_____________________________________________________________

Interesting related article: “Coronavirus pandemic forces Netflix to restrict bandwidth in Europe.”

What You Need to Know About COVID-19: Top 5 Blogs About Health to Read

1. Major nations affected

2. How the virus spreads

3. Symptoms to watch out for

4. People with the highest risk

5. The fatality rate

6. Protecting yourself

7. Testing and detecting the virus

Top 5 Blogs about Health to Read

1. Public Health Matters

2. Health Affairs Blog

3. Healthline

4. WHO blog

5. Johns Hopkins School of Public Health Blog

Conclusion

Bio