COVID-19: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR

COVID-19: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT YOU SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe

Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are:

Fever

Tiredness and

Dry cough

Some patients may have:

Shortness of breath

Aches and pains

Sore throat

And very few people will report:

Diarrhoea

Nausea

Runny nose

These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment.

Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

Source: World Health Organisation (WHO)