Here is a scary fact that may tighten your chest. The chances of you or someone you know getting hit by the coronavirus cannot be ruled out. While this may freak you out, the fact remains according to experts that the pandemic disease will infect more than a million people globally and also have a death poll of about 100,000.
The Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious disease, Dr, Anthony Fauci stated that COVID-19 is ‘entirely conceivable’.
Today, 1,002,000 population of the world are infected with coronavirus and more than 51,000 people lost to COVID-19 globally.
The United States currently has the highest number of confirmed cases of the pandemic disease in the world. With 245,380 confirmed cases, U.S surpasses the recorded number of the case in Wuhan, mainland China where the virus broke out and also Italy the epicenter of the European Outbreak.
While the breaking news all over news channels and online articles may make you breathe quicker from anxiety, this summary of an hour-long online interview of Dr. David Price an Intensive care Unit Doctor who works in the frontlines of the outbreak at Weil Cornell Medical center where 21% of the confirmed cases in United States is being treated will make you breathe a sigh of relief and also give you a break from all the panic attacks.
David Price answered the most popular question related to coronavirus. ‘What are the symptoms of COVID-19?’ According to the ICU doctor, high fever, cough, and sore throat are common symptoms in infected patients. The virus affects the lungs and makes breathing difficult, mild cough and headache are also symptoms of the disease.
Relax, your tight chest with no other symptoms is just anxiety and fear.
On how people get infected with the virus, he recommended a new favorite habit everyone must develop ‘NOT TOUCHING YOUR FACE’. He also urged everyone to become ‘’hand nazis’’.
People get the virus from physically touching an infected patient then rubbing the hand on their own face, nose or mouth. The moment we realize that dirty hands and rubbing your hands over your face are the easiest way to contact the virus, we will practice proper hygiene and not get freaked out by others in the store as we will realize they are also going through the same thing as us. All we need to do is wash our hands regularly and not touch our faces.
According to David, it is only possible to get the virus through the air if there is a long-sustained contact with an infected patient. Staying in the room for about 15-30 minutes with an infected person with no mask puts one at great risk of the virus. Walking into the restaurant to pick up your meal won’t leave you at risk. Saying thank you to the delivery man from KFC dropping off your meal won’t leave you at risk also.
According to the ICU doctor, the general community has no need for a mask. Practicing proper hygiene and not touching your face is enough. Also hanging out with friends this period is not advisable, keep your social group small and restrict it to family members. Hanging out every weekend, you can’t be so sure of being too careful. While taking videos with friends, you can easily rub your hand over your face trying to tug that hair behind your ear.
It is okay to get your grocery when it is delivered to you, just have the grocery man drop it outside, dispose of the nylon and wash your hands.
By now, it should be a general knowledge that the disease affects everyone. Both young and old.
With the choked state of hospitals, get tested when you come in contact with a confirmed case or when you have severe symptoms of the virus. Going to the hospital is not a death sentence, being on a ventilator doesn’t translate death also.
According to David, people come off the ventilator in less than two weeks sometimes. And if you are with mild symptoms, isolate in your room and keep the distance from family members while practicing hygiene.
When asked if there is a chance of the coronavirus weakening “as it mutates it’s going to get milder and milder, five years from now you’re going to get coronavirus, this exact COVID-19, and it’s going to feel like a cold.” He stated.
Ohh, see don’t panic. In the next five years, we will talk about this Virus as randomly and easily as saying ‘I have a flu today’.