I am sure that by now you will have seen the frenzy that is upon us, toilet rolls, paracetamol and other essentials running out. It’s on the news, on Facebook, on the radio and in all other outlets imaginable. Ladies and Gentlemen the Novel Corona Virus or more commonly referred to as Covid-19 is now upon us and has now spread worldwide and in early March 2020 has been declared a Global Pandemic by the World Health Organization

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What is a Pandemic and what is the Novel Corona Virus?

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Pandemic is derived from the Greek words “pan” which means all and “demos” which means people, and the World Health Organisation defines a pandemic as a worldwide spread of a new disease. The Corona Virus are a large family of Viruses and the Novel Corona Virus is a new strain that has only been recently identified and is said to have originated in Wuhan, China.

It is worth noting that even after all this hysteria, The Novel Corona Virus or more formally known as Sars-CoV-2 is a mild infection for 8 out of 10 people. Most of the people infected will experience flu like symptoms, fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and head aches are all possible but not guaranteed.

As we have always done, these symptoms are treated with paracetamol and plenty of rest and fluids. Most people recover because their immune system has fought of the virus.

If the disease progresses, chances are Pneumonia will come next, at this point it is estimated that it affects 14% of those infected and 6% become critically ill based on the data from China. The crude Mortality ratio is between 3%-4%.

The most affected people are:

• The elderly
• The Immuno-compromised
• People with underlying disease

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What Now?

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Since the Virus has originated in Wuhan, China, naturally it spread in East Asia quicker, but quick proactive containment measures imposed by China, Japan and South Korea which includes quick installation of temporary hospitals, lock downs, and quarantines meant the spread of the disease is now more controlled and the epi-centre of the disease is now in Europe.

Measures are being imposed including lockdowns, advise against mass gatherings and only essential travel. As indicated in the graphic below, the point of this is to minimise the spread to allow the healthcare systems to react and be able to manage and treat the disease properly.

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The Future is bright

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It is now a Pandemic, yes, but like we have done through out history, we will survive, we will learn, and we will heal. This is no easy task though, we all have to do our part, and only through this can we beat this.

We make do with what we have and do what we can to battle this:

• Always wash your hands
• If symptoms appear, treat them accordingly
• If symptoms appear isolate
• Drink plenty of fluids
• If symptoms persist seek further help

We need to be vigilant we need to buy time and we need to take back control and take back our lives. A group of scientists in Canada have already successfully isolated Covid-19, which I hope will mean that it is only a matter of time before a vaccine can be developed.

We are almost there; we just have to be honest and responsible and do our part and not panic. The more hoarding of supplies we do means that others will have less, which will only increase the chances of transmission of the disease.

Be vigilant and responsible. Further guidance is available at  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Sources:
https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51214864
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandemic
https://www.instagram.com/science/?hl=en
https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200306-sitrep-46-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=96b04adf_2