2019 ‑ nCoV is the provisional name for the coronavirus.
Today it is officially called SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2. And the disease that causes this SARS is called COVID-2019 ("coronavirus disease - 2019").
Let's take a look at all the mistakes you might have heard about the coronavirus. And these mistakes are mainly due to the lack of knowledge on this issue, and the habit of discussing topics in which you do not understand anything, as well as thoughts that they are trying to deceive everyone, and it is all beneficial for someone mysterious. Think with your head, it is given to you, not only to stuff food there.
Mistake number 1.
The coronavirus has a low mortality rate.
Mortality from the new coronavirus (2019 ‑ nCoV) is about 2% at the beginning of March 2020.
A lot or not 2% is a moot point. But it is unambiguously clear that this is at least an order of magnitude higher than mortality from influenza, with which they like to compare COVID-2019. According to statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average lethality of seasonal flu is no more than 0.13% in the most "flu" years. 2% is 15 times more.
And that is not all. The mortality rate reported by WHO officials is likely inaccurate. It is calculated by dividing the number of deaths by the total number of cases on a given date.
But the problem is that ARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 has a long incubation period, on average 14 (up to 27) days after infection. And the duration of the disease itself is long. So, the average time gap between the onset of the first symptoms and hospitalization is 10.5 days!
Conclusion: it will be possible to accurately determine the mortality rate of COVID-2019 only after the epidemic ends and the total number of cases and deaths becomes clear.
Earlier estimates are a kind of fortune-telling on the coffee grounds, it is permissible for ordinary people and all kinds of "specialists" who assess the economic component of the epidemic, if such assessments are made by doctors - it's a shame.
Mistake number 2.
The coronavirus is no more dangerous than the flu.
This conclusion is often made by amateurs or doctors who have not studied well. And they make this conclusion only on the basis of the fact that many people have COVID-2019 proceeding like a regular ARVI. But “for many” does not mean “for all”.
It is now clear that the new disease lasts much longer than the flu, and often passes hard enough that the sick have to be hospitalized in the intensive care unit and in intensive care. The number of seriously ill patients in need of resuscitation reaches 32% of the total number of cases.
In general, you need to be very careful about COVID-2019. "Same as the flu" is just a soothing illusion that incompetent specialists are trying to pass off as reality.
Mistake number 3.
Only elderly people with poor health become victims of the coronavirus.
In fact, people of all ages are sick, including children and young people.
Almost half of those diagnosed with COVID-2019 are less than 49 years old.
Mistake number 4.
To get sick, it is enough to be in the same room with the infected.
SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 is a respiratory virus. This means that it is transmitted mainly by airborne droplets - that is, by inhaling droplets that are discharged from the patient's nose or mouth when sneezing and coughing.
Such an infection cannot be spread by air over long distances. This is due to the fact that the drops in which it is enclosed are rather heavy and quickly settle.
Therefore, it is possible to become infected only through close contact - being at a distance of up to 2 meters with an infected person.
It is relatively safe to fly in the same plane, ride in the same subway car, work in the same office or walk along the same street with a sick person. Unless you get close to it.
Mistake number 5.
The virus cannot be transmitted through objects.
Can. But this is a rarer way of infection. You can get infected with the coronavirus if you touch the surface on which it has settled, and then scratch your lips, nose, eyes with the same unwashed hand - in general, "launch" the virus onto your mucous membranes.
This method of infection is more rare than airborne droplets. However, he is also dangerous.
Paper banknotes and coins are especially dangerous, as they are constantly transferred from hand to hand. That is why the Chinese authorities have even introduced strict requirements for disinfecting money. Banks are required to process them using ultraviolet radiation or high temperatures, and then store the disinfected currency in a dry place for 14 days.
But postal parcels, for example from AliExpress, are considered safe today.
In short: most of the close "relatives" of SARS-CoV-2 known to science, once on surfaces (paper, metal, glass, plastic), die in a period from several days to several hours. How long the new coronavirus can survive is still unknown. But the estimated maximum period is no more than 9 days. AliExpress shipments usually take longer.
Mistake number 6.
The virus spreads only through the air and through objects.
Not only. Most likely, SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 can also be transmitted with fecal matter, including through sewers. Scientists hypothesized the possibility of such a pathway for the spread of coronavirus after some patients showed not only respiratory, but also gastrointestinal symptoms: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea.
So you should be even more careful when touching the door handles in public restrooms than any other surface. And it is imperative to wash your hands after using the toilet.
Mistake number 7.
Mosquitoes can carry the new coronavirus.
The transmission routes of SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 are not yet well understood,
However, there is currently no evidence that insects can spread the infection.
Mistake number 8.
You can get the coronavirus from pets.
There is no evidence of this either. However, WHO recommends that you still wash your hands with warm water and soap after contact with animals. This should protect against bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella.
Mistake number 9.
If you breathe cold air, you can recover.
According to the WHO, inhaling cold air will not help.
The body temperature of a healthy person is kept within the range of 36.5–37 ° С regardless of the ambient temperature. This is enough for the virus to continue multiplying in the body.
Mistake number 10.
Garlic can boost immunity and protect against coronavirus.
According to some reports, garlic actually improves immunity and reduces the risk of getting SARS. However, there is currently no scientific evidence that it protects against COVID-2019.
Mistake number 11.
Quartzing and spraying liquids with alcohol and chlorine destroys the virus.
It's debatable. In some cases, such measures will not only not help, but also harm. Alcohol and chlorine can be effective surface disinfectants - they can be used to clean doorknobs, dishes, and common items. Observing, of course, safety rules.
Mistake number 12.
In order not to get sick, you need to rinse your nose.
There is currently no scientific evidence that rinsing the nose with saline regularly protects against SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2. Although, in principle, it is not bad to perform this procedure for the prevention of conventional ARVI.
Mistake number 13.
To protect yourself from coronavirus, you need to take antiviral drugs.
It is far from a fact that they will help. Medicines for the prevention and treatment of COVID-2019 do not yet exist.
Mistake number 14.
The pneumonia vaccine can protect against the complications of the coronavirus.
SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 really "attacks" the lungs. However, the WHO authoritatively states that vaccinations against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine or Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine (Hib vaccine), cannot prevent complications from the new coronavirus.
SARS ‑ CoV ‑ 2 is fundamentally different from already known infections and requires a special vaccine. Currently, its development has just begun.
Mistake number 15.
To avoid getting sick, it is enough to wear a medical mask.
The mask is only an aid. It will be ineffective if you do not follow other rules.
Here's what to do to really reduce the risk of infection and prevent the infection from spreading further:
Avoid contact with sick people - those who cough, sneeze, have a fever.
If you yourself are sick, even if we are talking about a common cold, stay at home.
If you are sneezing or coughing, try to cover your mouth with a tissue or at least your elbow. This is important to reduce the risk of airborne infection spreading. Throw the used tissue into the trash can.
Wean yourself from the habit of reaching your mouth, nose, and eyes with your hands.
Wash your hands often with warm water and soap. Spend at least 15-20 seconds on this activity.
Carry a disinfectant with at least 60% alcohol. Use it to wash your hands when soap and water are not available.
Regularly clean objects and surfaces that many people touch: doorknobs, keyboards, desk phone handsets, and so on. Use common household cleaners, including alcohol or bleach-based cleaners, or alcohol wipes for disinfection.
Mistake number 16.
You can recognize the coronavirus yourself.
You can't. COVID-19 disease does not have specific symptoms to distinguish it from the common cold or flu. Diseases manifest themselves in the same way: fever, malaise, headache, cough, nasal congestion, difficulty breathing.
Usually, with such symptoms, you need to contact a therapist at your place of residence - that is, to the clinic.
But if you or people you have been in close contact with have returned from China, Iran, Italy in the past two weeks, such symptoms are a reason to call an ambulance. Be considerate of yourself and your loved ones.
Confirmation or refutation of COVID-19 can only be done under laboratory conditions. We need to do a blood test and do a test for detecting 2019-nCoV RNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Until the results are obtained, you must be placed in special isolated boxes.
If the coronavirus is not confirmed, you will be sent home.
Attention! The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to describe the virus situation as rapidly evolving and unpredictable. This means that data on infection is updated almost every day, and the world is already actually on the verge of a pandemic.