Let’s go back to the basics. COVID-19 is caused by the novel coronavirus. It belongs to the same family of viruses as some types of common cold and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome.
It is a pandemic. Now don’t be scared. This doesn’t mean that it’s deadlier than other diseases (as a matter of fact, COVID-19 is less deadly than HIV and Ebola) rather it means that it meets some criteria: 1) It spreads between people, 2) It kills and 3) It has spread worldwide. In simple terms, it can spread anywhere and to anyone. For this reason, countries all over the world have been shutting down their borders and employing stringent measures to ensure the health and safety of their citizens.
Today, we will focus on separating facts from fiction
I WILL KNOW IF I HAVE THE VIRUS
There’s no tell tale symptom for COVID-19 because a lot of the symptoms are similar to those of a common cold; breathing difficulties, cough, fever. Other symptoms that occur mare rarely include dizziness, nausea and a runny nose. In more severe cases, the symptoms might resemble pneumonia, but most infected people don’t see any symptoms early on. This is why practicing social distancing is incredibly important.
I DON’T CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS. WEARING A MASK WILL PROTECT ME FROM COVID-19. I THINK THEY ARE JUST SAYING IT DOESN’T PROTECT TO PREVENT A SCARCITY
The use of light weight masks does not necessarily help protect one from the virus because they don’t fit tightly and so droplets from sneezes and coughs might escape. Also, people with the virus on their hands might touch their faces under the masks and hoarding such masks, make them unavailable for those who really need them- healthcare professionals and sick patients. Although, the masks can prevent one from spreading the virus.
COVID-19 IS A DEATH SENTENCE
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention published an article on February 18th that states than 2.3% of the people who are infected from the virus die from it. While 81% of the infected have mild cases of the virus, older people and those with underlying health conditions are more likely to experience more severe cases of the virus. So instead of panicking, focus on protecting yourself and those around you.
I HEAR SALT WATER IS EFFECTIVE AGAINST COVID-19
Know ye also that drinking salt water opens you up to the danger of hypertension….and this disease stays with one for life, long after we have discovered the vaccine for COVID-19 and kicked it for good. Scrubbing your body with salt does not have any effect on a virus that lives inside the body, if one were already infected.
Please let’s focus on the right information from credible sources. There’s an official website that you can actually check for current information on the fight against COVID-19: http://www.who.int. Let’s leave the rumour mills alone.
Observe the rules of personal hygiene people and let’s not fuel the rumour mills.
Stay safe, everyone. We will continue with this tomorrow.
Most of this post was contributed by my daughter and guest blogger – Dera!
chatwithketch 