What Exactly is Coronavirus (COVID-19)? Here’s All You Need to Know
If you’re reading this, you’re likely no stranger to the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic.
The newly discovered Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is shutting down cities all over the world. Doctors, health experts and researchers all over the world are struggling to track, understand and contain the virus thought to have originated in Wuhan, China.
But amidst all the panic, news reports and social media blabber, it’s easy to lose sight of the facts that are truly important for all of us to know.
View our interactive infographic on COVID-19, which includes live data that shows how the disease is affecting people all over the globe.
Download the static version of the infographic here.
Below is a snippet of the infographic
What is Coronavirus/COVID-19?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a newly discovered type of coronavirus.
This new strain of virus, also known as SARS-CoV-2, has not been previously identified in humans. It can be transmitted from person to person via respiratory droplets, such as when an infected person coughs or sneezes within 6 feet of contact.
The WHO has declared the virus as a global pandemic and a crisis unlike any other in the 75-year history of the UN.
Coronavirus Facts
- Older adults and people who already have an underlying medical condition like diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer are at a higher risk of getting seriously ill due to COVID-19.
- Around 1 in every 6 people with COVID-19 gets seriously ill and faces breathing difficulties.
- The incubation period for COVID-19 is most commonly around 5 days, but can range from 1–14 days.
- Around 80% of the people infected by COVID-19 experience mild to moderate symptoms, and recover without needing any special treatment.
- Antibiotics are ineffective against COVID-19, and shouldn’t be used to prevent or treat the virus.
- To date, there’s no evidence that COVID-19 can be transmitted to or from pets, such as dogs and cats.
Source: World Health Organization (WHO)
How to Protect Yourself From Coronavirus
Pharmaceutical teams and researchers are still working on a vaccine for the Coronavirus disease, but there are steps you can take to prevent catching and spreading the virus.
Wash your hands.
The best thing you can do is practice basic hygiene and wash your hands regularly. Make sure that each wash lasts for about 20 seconds to ensure the complete removal of germs.
WHO recommends using soap and water, but if that’s not readily available, you can also use a good quality hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Don’t touch!
Refrain from touching your eyes, nose or mouth, especially with unwashed hands. In case you’re experiencing the symptoms, wear a mask to avoid spreading the virus to others.
If you don’t have a mask available, make sure you catch your cough or sneeze with a tissue or by covering your mouth with your elbow.
Avoid contact with people.
Stay at home, avoid public gatherings and try to minimize contact with people who are sick.
Make sure you communicate to others the importance of social distancing, so you don’t go around offending anyone you care about.
Disinfect your surroundings.
Keep your house and surrounding areas clean. Make sure you disinfect objects in your house that are touched frequently, like light switches, door knobs, door handles and mobile phones.
You can disinfect easily using bleach or alcohol solutions. As for touchpoints in public places, avoid using your bare hands altogether.
Check out our detailed infographic on Coronavirus Prevention Do’s and Don’ts to learn more about how to protect yourself from catching and spreading COVID-19.
COVID-19: A Global Health Crisis
How is the coronavirus pandemic affecting you? What are you doing to protect yourself and your loved ones from catching and spreading this virus?
Let us know in the comments section below. You can also share this post on social media by clicking on the icons on the left sidebar.
If you want to create a coronavirus infographic to spread awareness, navigate over to our infographic maker, pick a template and get started right away for free.
Stay safe and wash your hands!
The original version of this post first appeared on Visme’s Visual Learning Center.
