Covid19 - What You Need To Know

Common symptoms of the disease are fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, difficulty breathing and myalgias. Patients can experience anything from a simple cold to a mild, moderate, or severe infection, including severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, and septic shock.

People of all ages can be infected with the new coronavirus. The elderly and people with pre-existing medical conditions appear to be more vulnerable to infection with the virus.

Most patients (about 80%) have a mild illness. People at high risk (eg elderly, heart patients, people with diabetes, liver disease or lung disease) are more likely to have a serious illness. In case of more serious illness, the patient may develop severe pneumonia and need hospitalization. And in this case most patients seem to be treated without very serious complications. It should be noted that the mortality rate is low and is about 2%.

There is a risk of infection if you have traveled to countries with an ongoing community outbreak in the last 14 days or come in contact with a confirmed or suspected case of coronavirus.

There is no specific treatment, so the approach used to treat patients with the new coronavirus infection is to treat the clinical symptoms. Supportive care can be particularly effective for these patients.

If he has an acute respiratory infection (sudden onset of illness, with at least one of the following symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath), with or without need for hospitalization AND at least one of the following epidemiological criteria, within the last 14 days before the onset of Symptoms:

• Close contact with a possible or confirmed case of infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus or

• Travel history in SARS-CoV-2 affected areas based on current epidemiological data.

Any suspected case should be IMMEDIATELY tested for SARS-CoV-2.

If anyone meets the epidemiological and clinical criteria they should contact their personal doctor by phone or at the 1420 call center immediately. followed. In Cyprus, laboratory tests are performed at the Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics.

Although the virus comes from animals, it is transmitted from person to person and easily and steadily spreads in the community. Dissemination in the community means the occurrence of confirmed cases for which the source of transmission is unknown.

Strict adherence to social distance measures and the parallel proper implementation of personal protection measures limit the rate of dispersal in the community.

The high risk groups include the elderly and people of any age with underlying chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, lung disease, diabetes, immunodeficiency.

When the laboratory test for new Covid-19 coronavirus infection is negative, it means that this virus is not detected in the sample. This can happen in the early stages of the disease. In the symptomatic phase and as the disease progresses the laboratory test can be positive. In the case of a patient with symptoms consistent with a new coronavirus infection Covid-19, who has undergone a laboratory test and is negative, the disease is attributed to another cause than Covid-19.

The flu vaccine does not protect against COVID-19. However, as we go through a seasonal flu outbreak, the flu vaccine is the best way to prevent seasonal flu.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause infection in animals and humans. In humans they cause respiratory infections of varying severity. Coronaviruses are thought to be responsible for a significant proportion of common colds in adults and children.

The new 2019-nCoV coronavirus is now called SARS-CoV-2, while the infection it causes is called COVID-19. This new virus appeared in China in December 2019 and then it was confirmed that it is a new coronavirus and is a member of the same large family as the previous coronaviruses SARS and MERS.

The virus is transmitted from person to person through the respiratory tract, in drops from the nose or mouth, from people who cough or sneeze. For this reason the chances of transmission from a person with symptoms are higher. Transmission from an asymptomatic person who can carry the virus is very low. The risk of transmitting the virus through feces is also low.

The incubation period of the virus is the time from the moment someone is infected with the virus until the onset of symptoms of the disease. This time ranges from 1-14 days.

Quarantine is a measure of isolation of individuals or groups of individuals after possible exposure to a pathogen that has not yet shown symptoms, in order to prevent spread. The duration of quarantine is equal to the incubation time of the disease, which is the time between the last exposure to the pathogen and the onset of symptoms. The incubation time for new Covid-19 coronavirus infection is 14 days. People whose quarantine has been decided can not transmit the disease.

If you have been in close contact with a confirmed case of new COVID-19 coronavirus stay at home for 14 days from the last contact and monitor your health. If you experience symptoms compatible with a new Covid-19 coronavirus infection such as

• fever
• cough
• breathing difficulty

contact your personal physician directly.

Wash your hands regularly with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds.

• Use an antiseptic alcohol solution.

• When coughing or sneezing, use disposable tissues and dispose of used tissues in a closed bin or use the inside of your elbow.

• Avoid hand contact with your mouth, nose and eyes.

• Keep one meter away from a person who appears to be ill with flu symptoms.

• Stay up to date with the latest developments regarding COVID-19

Face masks help prevent further transmission of the infection from patients to others around them. It does not seem to be effective in protecting those who are not infected with the virus so its use is not recommended. The use of a mask is recommended for health professionals and people caring for patients who have been infected with the virus.

There are currently no vaccines against coronavirus.

In people who have traveled in the last 14 days to countries / provinces with an ongoing epidemic in the community and have not yet shown clinical symptoms. Countries / provinces may change depending on the evolution of the epidemic. You can get information from the call center 1420.

• Because it limits our exposure to the droplets of others that "host" the virus in their throat and so it can protect us from catching the virus.
• Because it protects those around us from the virus that we probably have in our throat, even without any symptoms.
• Because the use of a mask by all of us will prevent a new big wave of pandemics and the need to take strict restrictive measures in the area where we live.
• Because the mask, keeping distance from others and hand hygiene are the golden triptych to continue our life calmly.