What You Need to Know About the Coronavirus: And how to protect yourself and family
The big health news lately has revolved around the Coronavirus (also called 2019-nCoV), which according to the World Health Organization as of February 4th, is not yet a pandemic, but has been declared a global health emergency. As of Feb 11th, this flu-like virus has more than 42,000 confirmed cases, over 1000 deaths, and because of extensive global travel, has quickly spread.
Should we be afraid?
I’d say at this point, NO, however, there are important ways we can minimize our exposure and risk, but first let’s look at what we currently know about this virus.
How widespread and deadly is the virus?
- There are currently more than 40,000 cases confirmed, with 17,000+ confirmed in China, and only 13 so far in the US (no US fatalities).
- There have been more than 1,000 confirmed deaths from the virus, which puts the death rate, currently, above .
- This death rate may not sound high, but compared to the typical flu, which is around .014% in the US, it’s a pretty big number. However, there are more than 19 million confirmed flu cases and 10,000 deaths in the US…this year. So comparatively, this is a small issue (so far).
- Compared to SARS, the death rate number was closer to 10%, however, SARS had a much lower spread rate.
How contagious is the virus?
The virus can live for more than 2 hours in a room after someone leaves. This virus is slightly more contagious than the flu, at a rate of 1.5 to 3 (compared to 1 to 4).
What are the symptoms?
- Fever
- Mild breathing problems at the onset
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Diarrhea
- After 2 to 7 days, a dry cough
- Severe symptoms include kidney failure, pneumonia and of course, death
How does it transmit?
The virus transmits from coughs, sneezes or saliva, which can be picked up from touching contaminated items. Much like a cold or the flu.
Who is most at risk?
The elderly, newborns and extremely sick are most at risk of suffering from severe cases and death of the coronavirus.
How to protect yourself?
- We highly advise against visiting China, and certainly recommend avoid the Wuhan province where the disease is most widespread.
- If you do have to travel, especially internationally, and want to be extra cautious, you can wear a surgical mask that is N95 rated or higher.
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Avoid extremely condensed and crowded areas where there are known outbreaks of the virus.
Is there a cure?
Currently, there is no cure or vaccine, however, there are developments for a vaccine that may be about a year away from hitting the market.
So how is it treated?
Currently lots of fluids and rest and there are antiviral medications that may help.
Think of this coronavirus as a new, faster spreading, more deadly version of the flu. With proper precautions, good health, you shouldn’t have much to worry about. However, our team at Revolutionary Health Services is keeping a close eye on this virus and will update you if anything significant changes. We want to keep you and the Bucks County community safe and healthy.
You can read more here and this article provides up to date data: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/01/29/coronavirus-what-are-symptoms-of-wuhan-china-novel-virus/4563892002/
Contact us with questions or to schedule an appointment:
215-321-1371