Where did coronavirus come from? How long does it last over surfaces? Will I be dead? Can Ibuprofen treat it? The questions are now answered:
Covid-19 has now been a buzz worldwide. People are talking about it, but still little is known about it. Scientists and researchers are making efforts to find out all about it and answer as many queries as possible within no time. Have a look at what they have found.
What is the origin of SARS-COV-2 from?
Most of the people believe that the virus was first found in bats. But still, it is not confirmed whether this virus transmitted through animals and then passed to humans. However, it is confirmed that SARS-COV-2 is a type of zoonotic disease where the infection spreads from animals to human beings. In animals, the virus undergoes specific genetic mutations that allow it to infect and replicate within humans. According to a study published in February 2020, it was seen the novel coronavirus appears identical to the bat coronavirus at the whole-genome level. However, some conspiracy theorists assume that the COVID-19 virus is a type of artificial laboratory creation. Strong evidence suggests the transmission of the SARS-COV-2 virus from animals to humans in Wuhan, which is the capital city of Central China, province of Hubei.
Will I be dead due to covid-19?
This stunning question is non-predictable. We cannot answer it as yes or no. COVID-19 is not similar to the universal flu or cold, which we face in our daily lives. Regarding COVID-19, we can only consider the probabilities that depending on the severity of the symptoms, the patient might survive or might get dead. According to the epidemiologist and mathematician Adam Kucharski, who works at the London School of Hygienist and Tropical Medicine, he says that the casualty rate for the COVID-19 infection is around 0.5-2% which means that 1 or 2 out of 100 people will die once they get infected.
How long the sars-cov-2 virus survives over the surfaces or in air?
This question has been around for a while, but recently, scientists and researchers came up with their studies to show that the virus remains infectious, especially following heavy contamination. According to Germany’s lab report tests, it is seen that the virus survives for 3 hours in the air, for around 4 hours over copper surfaces, for about 24 hours on cardboard and two to three days over plastic and stainless steel.
Other than the survival of the virus over surfaces, it is true that the virus needs a live human host for appropriate survival. The virus cannot replicate over the surfaces and requires a live host for survival. The virus indeed survives for a few hours or days, but it less infectious due to its inability to replicate, and the illness ultimately breaks down. Furthermore, these studies have been done in a proper lab environment without any changes in environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, sunlight, and’]= others, which might affect the stability of the virus.
How to protect yourself?
Protecting yourself is essential against the COVID-19 virus as it leads to severe symptoms
which might affect our daily routine. Try sneezing and coughing with a napkin or use the inner side of your elbow. Avoid shaking hands at the workplace or in the family gathering. Avoid hugging each other. Try washing your hands frequently for 20-30 seconds regularly and wash it thoroughly. Try maintaining social distance from the people around you. These preventive measures help in reducing the transmission of the virus to other people and protect themselves.
When should we wash our hands?
Washing hands is essential after coming back home, before doing any home chores, avoid cooking and drinking without washing hands. Wash your hands thoroughly after sneezing, coughing, poking your nose, touching your eyes or ears. Wash hands thoroughly after meeting ill people, contacting the animals, or after using the toilet. As we all know now that the virus spreads exponentially, it is therefore essential that we follow these measures ritually. Lother Wieler, who is the president of Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, he insists the people follow the precautionary measures without avoiding it in any circumstances. If you are somewhere where water is not available, keep a sanitizer with you and rub your hands thoroughly. He further says that if we are unable to follow the precautionary measures, we might suffer from millions of infectious cases in Western countries alone.
Why is there no vaccine yet?
Vaccine development requires several years to come out with an effective and safe vaccine for people. German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutic, there are around 47 ongoing projects worldwide who are focusing on creating a coronavirus vaccine. German Center for Infection Research is an institute where they are researching for the development of a vaccine. Scientists at this center use the pre-existing building blocks, which are derived from the formulated vaccines in the past year to develop a new vaccine against the coronavirus. In today’s world, scientists and researchers are working under enormous pressure to develop the vaccine as soon as possible to help the infectious people suffering from the disease. However, the development of a vaccine is not possible this year as there need to be the clinical trials which take a long time for the development and approval of vaccine by the FDA.
Some researchers are working for passive immunization, where the antibodies are derived from the blood serum of SARS-COV-2 infectious patients. This entire procedure is known as passive immunization, where the recipient’s body is not exposed to such antibodies. When introduced, these antibodies will offer protection and help in fighting against the infection. However, this procedure is not sufficient for the long-term, so we will ultimately need vaccine development for long-term stability.
Is the use of ibuprofen helpful when infected with covid-19?
According to a study which was published in 2020, in Lancet Respiratory Medicine, it suggested that people who suffered from COVID-19 had Ibuprofen along with it if they were taking medicines for diabetes i.e., Thiazolidinedione, the drug interactions led to the exacerbation of the infection. The use of this drug for diabetes allows the SARS viruses to regulate the ACED 2 receptors.
These things led to the confusion due to which WHO released a warning officially, which indicated that the use of Ibuprofen should be stopped immediately. The WHO spokesman further said that Ibuprofen should not be taken without any advice by the healthcare professional, and it is further advised to consume paracetamol rather than Ibuprofen as the pain-killer. After two days of releasing this statement, it was seen that the warning was retracted, and no such advice was then given for the COVID-19 patients.
Can coronavirus infect the pets?
Yes, we are sure about it due to which Swiss Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Off advise all pet owners to stay in quarantine and avoid any contact with their pets. The assessment of the risk for COVID-19 in pets is very high because there are no visible symptoms in them. BFR further states that the animals can transmit the infections through the air they breathe or their excretions, and as it is confirmed that SARS-COV-2 originated within the animal kingdom.
What if i’m pregnant, is it dangerous for my child?
According to what scientists have known, for now, children are not considered as high-risk patients for coronavirus. Children who might have been infected with coronavirus suffered from mild development of the disease. There are few case reports in which SARS-COV-2 has affected newborns, but it is still not known whether the virus transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, during the childbirth or once the delivery took place. WHO and Germany’s BZgA further reveal that pregnant ladies are at low risk to suffer from the disease, but they must follow precautionary measures without any neglect.
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