How worried should we be about the Novel Coronavirus?

The overall profile of the disease, including its mortality and ability to spread, is now better understood. Many healthy, young people who are exposed to the coronavirus will experience nothing worse than seasonal flu symptoms, or indeed no symptoms at all.

The novel coronavirus illness from Wuhan in China, known as COVID-19, has dominated news headlines in recent weeks. Daily reports show that the number of infections, deaths and affected countries is rising, making one thing clear: this is a fast-moving infection.

In comparison with the SARS outbreak in 2003, 8,096 people were infected, and 774 people died across 26 countries, according to figures from the World Health Organization (WHO).

That’s a case fatality rate of approximately 10% - 8% higher than that of the China coronavirus.

MERS also appears to be more fatal than COVID-19. WHO figures show that since it first appeared in 2012, MERS has infected 2,494 people, spread to 27 countries and killed 858 people - a case fatality rate of 35%.

Based on these figures, the novel coronavirus seems to spread more easily than SARS and MERS but appears to be less likely to kill those it infects.

The flu is significantly more contagious than the novel coronavirus. While many people catch the flu each year and many also die from the infection, at present flu is less likely to kill a person than the novel coronavirus. Another reason why the flu can be considered less worrying than the new coronavirus is that there’s an annual vaccine that can help to protect against flu infection.

In contrast, there’s no vaccine for the new coronavirus.

With this in mind, the best way to protect yourself from getting infected by COVID-19 is to follow these guidelines:

  • wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
  • use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available
  • avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
  • avoid close contact with people who are sick
  • stay home when you are sick
  • cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the bin
  • clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces

Can antibiotics treat the new coronavirus?

As a new coronavirus infection continues to spread worldwide, misinformation, it seems, is spreading along with it. A case in point is the myth that antibiotics can treat the lung and airway infection caused by the virus. They can’t.

Most people have heard of pneumonia. It’s an infection of the lungs that’s often caused by a bacterial infection.

When a person has bacterial pneumonia, doctors generally use antibiotics to treat the infection because antibiotics attack and kill bacteria. While COVID-19 can sometimes cause pneumonia, the type of pneumonia it causes isn’t bacterial - it’s caused by a virus, a type of germ that has a different structure to bacteria.

This means that antibiotics, which are designed to kill bacteria, simply don’t work against viruses. There are antiviral medicines that can be used to fight some viruses, such as those that cause flu. However, scientists haven’t yet developed antiviral medicines that can kill the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

How to effectively treat the new coronavirus

This doesn’t mean that COVID-19 pneumonia can’t be treated - it can. Doctors can supply oxygen and other medicines to help support an ill person and improve their symptoms - a treatment known as supportive care.

In some cases, doctors may also prescribe antibiotics for someone with COVID-19, but this is only done when a bacterial infection develops on top of the underlying viral illness. It’s this type of treatment combination that helps most people with pneumonia caused by the new coronavirus to get better.

Fortunately, the majority of people affected by COVID-19 don’t develop pneumonia. They seem to have a mild illness that features a fever and muscle aches for a few days.

How to protect yourself

Good hygiene is important for reducing the spread of infection. This means that even if you choose to wear a face mask, you should still follow the WHO’s hygiene recommendations, which include:

  • regular hand washing
  • covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing - using a tissue or your sleeve instead of your hands
  • throwing used tissues away immediately
  • washing your hands regularly with warm water and soap - wash for at least 20 seconds
  • using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available
  • cleaning and disinfecting objects and surfaces

Testing for the Coronavirus

Whilst some private laboratories offer private testing, it will only be performed if you present with the rights symptoms, has a history to make you high risk and you are referred by a doctor.

Heritage Health will cover the costs of your diagnosis and treatment – but for confirmed Covid-19 cases only – from your available day-to-day benefits.

 

Sources: 
https://www.covid-19facts.com
https://www.your.md/blog/how-worried-should-we-be-about-the-novel-coronavirus