For Kids
News about the spread of the coronavirus on the planet took the top lines in the news reports, the authorities of different countries impose quarantines, and in some places all this already makes people behave not too rationally – for example, to buy toilet paper. We remind you that you need to know about the coronavirus, so as not to start being afraid of it more than you should.
Of course, it is impossible to dismiss the new dangerous infection – and the authorities of different countries are obviously absolutely right when they introduce preventive and often harsh measures.
But there is absolutely no need to panic. It is better to take advantage of the occasion and remember about personal hygiene.
Are we all going to die? No
Doctors report that the death rate from Covid-19 is an order of magnitude higher than from the usual flu. But you should pay attention to the absolute numbers and other details.
The American Johns Hopkins Research University has compiled an interactive and fairly quickly updated map of the spread of the coronavirus.
These data collected by Americans remind, in particular, about what is relatively rarely written in the news: more than half of those infected (more than 63 thousand people) have already recovered.
Approximately 80% of the registered patients have a mild form of the disease.
As of the beginning of the day on Tuesday, more than 113 thousand cases were registered in the world (including 81 thousand in China), just over 4,000 deaths (including more than 3,000 in China). Thus, the mortality rate is approximately 3.5%.
The coronavirus has also reached South America. In the photo – the airport of Sao Paulo, Brazil
The fact that the vast majority of the dead are very elderly people with concomitant diseases, and for young people the risk of dying from coronavirus is close to zero, has already been written quite a lot.
In addition, when assessing the death rate, one more circumstance must be taken into account. Doctors say that some infected people have the disease so easily that they themselves may not notice it, taking it for an ordinary light cold. When and if it is possible to identify and count these patients, the percentage of mortality may drop significantly.
The chief health officer of England, Professor Chris Whitty, for example, suggests that in the end, the mortality rate will be around 1%.
And what should I do?
According to the observations of doctors at the moment, the new virus can be caught by airborne droplets during close communication – if a person stands less than two meters away from you and sneezes (or speaks, slightly splashing saliva) in your direction.
In addition, the coronavirus can be picked up from a hard surface (a door handle or an escalator handrail in the subway) – on such surfaces, it survives for two days or even longer.
Therefore, doctors recommend often and thoroughly, at least 20 seconds, to wash your hands, use an antiseptic and do not touch your face with your hands. The latter is actually almost impossible: most people touch their face involuntarily, so it remains to wash their hands more often.
Antiseptic is in short supply. How to make it at home?
Fact check: Do garlic and hot baths save you from the coronavirus?
In China and Eastern Europe, back in January, the myth that alcohol helps with the new virus became especially popular. It was debunked at the same time; the Russian Service of the BBC wrote about it: alcohol only depresses the immune system and it is better to use it to disinfect hands and surfaces. Only the alcohol concentration in the solution should be from 60%, and drinks of this strength are quite rare.
How do I know if I’m sick?
In short, the only way is a laboratory test.
In most cases, the disease begins with a dry cough and fever, with a runny nose appearing only in about 5%.
Anyway, those who suspect Covid-19, doctors and authorities in many countries either recommend or directly prescribe not to go to the doctors (so as not to infect anyone), but to call them.
Scientists are trying as hard as they can, but the procedure for creating and testing new drugs is such that in the best case, the vaccine is expected in a year. By this time, the current outbreak, as experts suggest, is likely to have passed.
When will the coronavirus vaccine be available?
But the vaccine is a means of prevention, and while it is not available, doctors in practice find out how existing antiviral drugs work on patients. In the coming weeks, when a sufficient body of data has accumulated, doctors hope to understand how best to treat at least those who have Covid-19 in the most severe forms.