The world is battling an epidemic. China is the front line. Humanity braces for the impact as global powers present a mixed response. Millions of people are undergoing quarantine. More than 3000 have died with the number of confirmed cases soaring beyond 100,000.

The scientific community has dubbed the virus as Covid-19 (Corona Virus 2019). The epicentre of the disease is a wet market in the Wuhan city of China’s Hubei province. The disease has now spread to over 95 countries.

The word “pandemic” is now just around the corner. Health officials are ringing alarm bells because a vaccine or even the remotest trace of treatment is nowhere.

 THE WORLD RESPONDS

States worldwide have responded by enforcing social isolation. In areas with confirmed cases, governments are asking people to stay indoors. The intensity of quarantines varies from place to place. But the global movement of people has taken a severe hit, and resultantly the economy.

Stock markets are reacting negatively, with (unsubstantiated) talks of a recession now mainstream. And if all of this was not alarming enough, some experts have stated that provided the persists a year 40-70 per cent of the global population is at risk of being affected.

OUR BACKYARD

The coronavirus has significantly hit Australia. With 46 confirmed cases, New South Wales is the worst-hit state. With two of the latest corona cases appearing in two schools’ children in Sydney.

NSW may be the worst hit, but by no means is it the only one. Victoria’s total confirmed cases jumped to 15 after reports of 2 new cases surfaced recently. Moreover, West Australia has begun reporting positive results for suspected carriers.

Even the remote island of Tasmania has reported 2 positive cases so far. The state is now pondering upon imposing more substantial fines on suspected patients who fail to self-isolate until their results arrive.

SILVER LININGS

There are some positive signs on the horizon, though. Chinese health officials have asserted that there is a strong chance that the virus might die out as temperature increase (but there is no guarantee).

Similarly, unlike Ebola and SARS (the last two significant epidemics), the mortality rate of the disease is pretty low at about 3.4%. However, it did increase from earlier figures of 2.3%. For comparison, the death rate of SARS was over 10%.

Another critical factor is that the quarantine mechanisms have been active at controlling the spread relatively.

THE FAKE NEWS EPIDEMIC

With so much hysteria, it is easy to get confused. Many firms are taking advantage of this confusion by pitching untested and often useless cures to unknowing customers. With so much fake news circulating the social media, it is tough to get accurate information about the true scale of the crisis. And without proper knowledge, figuring out how to protect your family and friends becomes a dauntingly difficult task.

AUSTRALIA’S DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

The Australian Department of Health has done a good bit of advertisement to spread awareness. The department has even rolled out a Covid-19 update on its website, and we strictly advise our readers to visit it at least once a day.

Listed below is detailed information about the coronavirus, obtained through the Australian department of health and several other such platforms.

SYMPTOMS

Following are the (well-established) symptoms of the coronavirus

  • Shortness of Breath
  • Fever
  • Cough

Though the symptoms remain constant across patients, their manifestation does not. Patients have shown signs ranging from mild to severe. There have also been reported cases (especially in Japan) whereby a person carrying the virus did not show any signs at all.

These symptoms are very familiar to the signs of the flu and hence become easy to ignore. So, remember if you or someone close to you starts showing these symptoms, do not dismiss it as the common cold. Go to your nearest government center and get tested. And quarantine yourself until you get the results back.

CONTACT

If someone you have been close to develops symptoms, you should go ahead and voluntarily get tested to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Have you been to a place where there has been a confirmed case of the coronavirus? If yes, then we strictly advise you to quarantine yourself for at least 14 days before moving on to your day to day activities.

The virus shows its symptoms within 2 to 14 days after exposure, so if you do not develop symptoms in 14 days, you are good to go.

ORIGINS

There have been several theories doing rounds on the internet about the possible origins of the coronavirus. People have been spouting all sorts of conspiracies. For instance, the virus was being developed in a Chinese lab before it was released. Similarly, some people have even declared the coronavirus as an attack on China by the west. But none of these theories are substantiated.

And though there is still a lot we still have to learn about the virus, there are some things we can say for sure. Up till now, we can mean that the virus originated in a Chinese meat market.

These markets are a hub of disease owing to the presence of farmed wild animals in the market. Even the SARS epidemic originated from a Chinese wet market.

Typically bats are a carrier of the coronaviruses family. The most acknowledged theory about the virus states that the virus moved from a bat to a pangolin in a Chinese meet market before infecting a human from where it spread across the world.

HOW DOES THE DISEASE WORK?

The coronavirus is a highly infectious respiratory illness (as per the department of health). The virus is transmitted from one person to another through “bodily fluids.”

When a sick person coughs or sneezes, they produce fluids brimming with the coronavirus. Any healthy person close to the patient can then inhale these virus-laden fluids, and get infected.

Once inside the body, the virus attacks the lungs and begins taking over lung cells. Weakening them and making them susceptible to secondary infections.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY SAFE?

SURGICAL MASKS

We have seen a widespread usage of surgical masks in areas affected by the virus. Surgical masks are a suitable prevention mechanism only if the sick themselves wear them. There is no conclusive evidence that they provide full proof of protection against the virus.

N-95 RESPIRATORS

N-95 respirators are more useful but are extremely hard to use. These masks require a certain level of technical expertise to operate. And if you do not do it properly, then there are chances that you will touch the outer surface of the mask, which can carry the virus. Once you contract the virus and do not wash your hands afterwards, the infection will likely ensue.

SOAP

Believe it or not, the best protection against the coronavirus comes housed in a custom soap Packaging boxes. Because one of the significant ways the virus spreads is though hands.

If an infected person coughs or sneezes on their hands and then goes about their routine, everything they touch during the day will potentially carry the virus. If a healthy person touches the surfaces and then without washing their hands touches their eyes, nose or mouth chances are that they will contract the virus.

Even the World health organization has listed washing your hands as an effective mechanism of protection. Experts state that you should wash your hands after every 20 to 25 minutes.

So, Aussie’s go to your nearest retail outlet and grab a soap box and use what’s inside regularly. It does not matter what type of soap it is. The solvent can be anti-bacterial or beatifying. It can contain coconut oil or mints. It does not matter.

Health officials have pointed out that you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds at a time. You should clean all the corners of your hand and avoid touching your face, nose, or eyes.