COVID-19. (Origin, Spread, Symptoms and Prevention)

By Nitin Aswal - March 28, 2020

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. A family of virus which has high mutation rate can develop resistance to new drugs. Rapidly growing, number of people were developing dry cough, fever before getting pneumonia and for some it turned fatal. Doctor has named the disease COVID-19 or Coronavirus disease 2019.
The Disease name is Coronavirus disease COVID-19, the virus name is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

First time found in humans in 1960s, The virus has protrusions on its surface when seen under electron microscope. This makes the virus look like an emperor's crown & hence the name coronavirus. Scientists have been trying to understand the origin of COVID-19 and the virus that causes it: SARS-CoV-2.
Scientists believed the virus may have developed in bats, and later pangolins. When tried to trace its origin, found a like resource the food market(Huanan) in WHUHAN, CHINA. Out of first 41 patients 27 had been here. It wasn't conclusive evidences but Chinese officials quickly shutdown the market. In 2002 a coronavirus had emerged in very similar market in southern china. It eventually reached 29 countries and nearly killed 800 people. Now 18 years later this coronavirus is in at least 200 countries and has already killed over 21,031 people and increasing. 465,915 people have been infected, update of 27/03/2020. These virus had been linked with China and why it has first happened in China. A lot of virus that make us sick is actually originated in animals. Zoonotic disease (disease caused by animals). Viruses are very good at jumping between species its rare for the deadly one to have such a long jump to the humans. That's where the WHUHAN market comes in. A kind of place where live animals are slaughtered and sold for consumption. And then how the virus can jump from one animal to another. And that animal comes in contact or consumed by human virus could potentially infect them. It starts spreading and causes an outbreak. Wet markets are scattered all over the world but the once in china are particularly well known. 50% of world's livestock is in China. Offer a wide variety of animals including wild life. Animals are from all over the world and each one has its own potential to carry its own virus to the market. The reason all these animals are in same market is because the decision the Chinese government made decades ago designating animals as natural resource. That means something you can use for human benefit. The wild animals are then funneled into the wet markets for profits. More varieties of animals more virus. The disease caused by them can be so deadly because we have no pre-existing immunity to them. Scientist estimate that more than 6 out of 10 known infectious diseases in people come from animals, 60% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonosis.
On December 31 of the last year, Chinese authorities alerted the World Health Organization of an outbreak of virus. "Bill Gates wrote in 2017 that three danger to the world in future will be Climate Change, Nuclear War and a deadly Pandemic". The virus has spread rapidly in many parts of the world. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO), declared COVID-19 a pandemic. A pandemic occurs when a disease that people are not immune to spreads across the large regions.

HOW IT SPREADS.

Spreads from person to person through close communities.
When infected person breathe out or cough, they expel tiny droplets that contain the virus. These droplets can enter the mouth or nose of someone.
Close contact with infected person within around 6 feet.
Contact with contaminated surfaces or objects that has the virus on it.

Important to note that COVID-19 is new, and research is still ongoing there may also be other ways that the new coronavirus can spread.

SYMPTOMS.

a persistent cough.
shortness of breath.
fever.
sore throat.
aches and pains.
a very few people will report diarrhoea, nausea or a runny nose.

PREVENTION.

wash your hands often. Use hand sanitizer with at least 60% of alcohol.
wear a face mask.
avoid contact with sick people.
always cover your cough and sneeze.
infected person to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
keep surrounding surfaces as clean as possible, and avoid sharing any household items.
look out for announcements of any new measures to stay up to date.