Everything you need to know about Coronavirus
Q. What is 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)?
A. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a respiratory virus that causes illness ranging from the common cold to severe diseases.
Q. What are the symptoms?
- Respiratory problems
- Fever and cough
- Shortness of breath
- Runny nose
- Headache
Q. How does it spread?
A. It is generally spread from an infected person to others through the air by sneezing or coughing. It also spreads when someone touches an already infected person or object contaminated with infected droplets and touches his or her mouth, nose or eye.
Q. Where and how does the infection start?
A. The first known case emerged from Wuhan, China in December 2019. The source of the outbreak has not been identified but according to some research, it has been found that these viruses have come through snakes and bats. And it has gradually spread to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, USA, France and Australia. In India, few people who have returned from China, have shown mild symptoms of this virus and have been kept under observation.
Q. Is there any treatment?
There is no specific vaccine for illness caused by the novel coronavirus, but here’s what you can do:
- Take hot showers to relieve sore throat and cough
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Set up humidifier in your home/room
- Contact your doctor to start medication if symptoms persist
Tips for prevention.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze
- Consume thoroughly cooked food
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
Reduce your risk of Coronavirus infection
- Clean hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub
- Cover nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue or exed elbow
- Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms
- Thoroughly cook meat and eggs
- Avoid unprotected contact with live wild or farm animals