COVID-19: Here's everything you need to know about the novel coronavirus
Credit to Author: Stephanie Ip| Date: Mon, 02 Mar 2020 20:57:46 +0000
Last updated on March 2, 2020: There’s a lot of information out there about COVID-19 and it can feel overwhelming trying to learn more about it.
So we’ve gathered up everything we know, including links to resources and recent coverage, into one handy page. You’ll also find links to B.C. health authorities and charts showing the latest situation around the world.
Here are some of the questions covered by our explainer:
• What’s the difference between a cold, a flu and COVID-19?
• How do I self-isolate if I have COVID-19?
• Should I be concerned about travelling right now?
Read on for answers to some of the more common questions about the novel coronavirus and check back frequently for updates. If you have a question that hasn’t been answered, email reporter Stephanie Ip at sip@postmedia.com and we’ll do our best to find an answer for you.
COVID-19 is a respiratory infection. There are many types of coronavirus, some linked to the common cold, but this one is new and was detected toward the end of 2019.
COVID-19 is the official name given to the virus by the World Health Organization. Before WHO officially named the virus, it was also referred to as coronavirus, the novel coronavirus and 2019-nCOV (to indicate the year when the virus was first detected).
The coronavirus gets its name from the way it looks: It has a core of genetic material covered by an envelope with protein spikes that resemble a crown. In Latin, a crown is a corona. It’s called a novel coronavirus because it’s new and hasn’t been detected in people before.
The illness was first detected in December 2019 in a group of people in Wuhan City, in the Hubei province of central China, following exposure to live animals at the Huanan Seafood Market. But a recent study found that while the market boosted circulation of the virus, it’s believed the virus was introduced from outside the market and did not originate there.
Recent cases, however, have surfaced without exposure to animals or food markets, with the virus spreading between people who have had close contact with each other. It remains unknown how easily this happens.
A resident, wearing full protective gear amid fears of the COVID-19 coronavirus, pulls a trolley after collecting packages from a drop-off stall for delivered goods outside a residential compound in Beijing on Feb. 23, 2020.
COVID-19 is similar to other respiratory illnesses and symptoms include a fever, dry cough, sore throat and headache. There may also be aches and pains, fatigue and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea.
While most cases are mild, some individuals may experience more severe symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, and may experience pneumonia in both lungs. Those with health issues or underlying conditions may also have a harder time recovering.
It may take up to 14 days after exposure for symptoms to appear.
Wash your hands often. When you do, wash for at least 20 seconds (Tip: Singing Happy Birthday from start to finish is approximately 20 seconds.) Hand sanitizer may help in a pinch if you’re not able to wash your hands.
Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Use the inside of your elbow to sneeze and cough, not your hands.
Health officials say a mask can be worn by those who are sick to prevent further spread of the virus; however, if you are healthy, the mask will not prevent you from getting sick. Experts say there is no need to stock up.
A passenger disembarks from the Diamond Princess cruise ship – in quarantine due to fears of the new COVID-19 coronavirus – at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on February 19, 2020.
All three are respiratory illnesses but each is caused by a different virus. The cold is caused by the rhinovirus, the flu is caused by the influenza virus, and COVID-19 is caused by the novel 2019 coronavirus. All three can lead to pneumonia if complicated by other health issues or underlying conditions.
The cold is generally more mild than the flu or COVID-19, with the most common symptom being a runny or stuffy nose. The average adult gets two to three colds a year and recovers in about a week to 10 days.
The flu and COVID-19 cause many of the same symptoms (see above section), such as a fever, coughing or headache. The flu takes about a week to two weeks to recover from, while the WHO believes the recovery period for COVID-19 is approximately two weeks for mild cases and three to six weeks for those with severe or critical cases.
The cold, flu and COVID-19 are all spread the same way, from close person-to-person interaction, though the cold and COVID-19 can also spread through airborne particles.
In B.C., health officials have placed an emphasis on detection, which means the threshold for who can be tested is being kept low so anyone and everyone can be tested if they wish. The results are confirmed in-province and don’t need to be verified by the national testing centre.
If you are feeling ill or have recently travelled and feel ill, you should contact a healthcare provider to see about being tested for COVID-19. If you plan to visit a doctor’s office, a walk-in clinic, an emergency room or any public health facility, call ahead so healthcare providers can prepare for your visit to prevent possible spread to other patients.
If you have additional questions, you can call 811 to speak with a registered nurse.
Stay home. Do not receive visitors, don’t go to school or work, don’t visit public areas including places of worship, stores, shopping malls and restaurants. Reschedule any appointments you may have.
If you need to leave your home for medical care, do not take public transit, taxis or ride-hailing.
If you need groceries or have other needs, use a delivery or pickup service instead of going out yourself but be sure to avoid face-to-face contact. (Face-to-face contact is defined as being within one to two metres of another person.)
A sign reminding people to wash their hands outside a dormitory designated as a 2019 novel coronavirus quarantine site in North Bend, Washington.
If someone in your family is showing symptoms, it’s best if everyone sharing the home or close quarters with the symptomatic individual be tested for COVID-19 to be sure the virus has not already spread.
If only one person in the home is infected, then the other individuals should stay elsewhere if possible, particularly if they have weak immune systems or other health conditions.
Those who have no other options and who must stay in the same home should ensure the infected individual stays and sleeps in a room with good airflow that is away from others. The infected individual should use a separate bathroom and wear a face mask if in the same room as others. Face-to-face contact should be avoided, while food and other things can be dropped off outside the infected person’s room.
Viruses in the coronavirus family generally don’t survive very long on surfaces as they are sensitive to the environment, according to the B.C. Centre for Disease Control.
The U.S. Center for Disease Control also found that similar coronaviruses can last up to nine days on inanimate surfaces at room temperature but that they are quickly rendered inactive with common disinfectants. On surfaces like copper and steel, similar coronaviruses last about two hours.
The first case of COVID-19 in B.C. was detected in a man in his 40s who had travelled to the Wuhan region in China’s Hubei province. That case was announced on Jan. 27, 2020.
As of March 2, 2020, there had been eight cases of COVID-19, with four of those fully recovered. No deaths have been recorded in B.C. due to COVID-19.
Click here for a regularly updated list of B.C. cases, including both those who have since recovered and information on whether the individual had travelled or was infected locally.
People wear protective face masks at Benito Juarez International Airport after Mexico’s government said on Friday it had detected the country’s first cases of coronavirus infection, in Mexico City on Feb. 28, 2020.
Travelling during the current outbreak depends on your level of comfort, with some countries requiring extra precautions.
As of March 2, 2020, the Canadian government is advising Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel to China, Iran and northern Italy, while special or usual precautions are being advised for Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and South Korea.
If you are travelling, be sure to wash your hands or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available. When eating and drinking, stay away from raw or undercooked food and meat and avoid high-risk areas such as farms, live animal markets and areas where animals may be slaughtered.
If you are not concerned about the health aspects but worried about logistics and possible cancellations, check with your travel provider, purchase travel insurance and read up on local advisories before travelling.
For more information, read the Government of Canada’s travel advice on COVID-19.
Here is some of the Vancouver Sun’s recent coverage on COVID-19:
Coronavirus in B.C.? Life with COVID-19 is going to look very different
Reporter Randy Shore explains what happens if COVID-19 is declared a pandemic in Canada, and how a visit to your doctor’s officer might look a little different. This piece also highlights some of the options for telemedicine and remote appointments by smartphone or computer.
B.C. has a plan of attack should COVID-19 spread, and it’s not what you think
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry explains how health officials are hoping to “contain, delay, prepare” to avoid a spike in COVID-19 cases.
Five things to know about COVID-19 in B.C.
Here’s a shorter explainer on COVID-19’s situation in B.C. and some fast facts to know.
Here are a number of information and landing pages for COVID-19 from various health and government agencies.
• Vancouver Coastal Health – Information on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
• B.C. Centre for Disease Control – Novel coronavirus (COVID-19)
• B.C. Government – Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Government of Canada – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Outbreak update
• World Health Organization – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak
— With files from Postmedia, Reuters, Canadian Press
If you have a question that hasn’t been answered, email reporter Stephanie Ip at sip@postmedia.com and we’ll do our best to find an answer for you.