What is a coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. COVID-19 is now a pandemic affecting many countries globally.
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include aches and pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but only have very mild symptoms.
Most people (about 80 per cent) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and lung problems, diabetes, or cancer, are at higher risk of developing serious illness. However, anyone can catch COVID-19 and become seriously ill. People of all ages who experience fever and/or cough associated with difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, chest pain/pressure, or loss of speech or movement should seek medical attention immediately. If possible, it is recommended to call the healthcare provider or facility first, so the patient can be directed to the right clinic.
If you have minor symptoms, such as a slight cough or a mild fever, there is generally no need to seek medical care. Stay at home, self-isolate and monitor your symptoms. Seek immediate medical care if you have difficulty breathing or pain/pressure in the chest. If possible, call your healthcare provider in advance, so he/she can direct you to the right health facility.
Get vaccinated against COVID-19. The vaccine is the best way for people to protect themselves and their families against COVID-19, especially from severe COVID-19 or death. Even after vaccination, continue to practice the following precautions:
- wear your mask
- maintain social distance of at least 1.5 metres between yourself and others
- wash or sanitise your hands frequently
- avoid crowded spaces
If you have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, you may be infected.
Close contact means that you live with or have been in settings of less than one metre from those who have the disease. In these cases, it is best to stay at home.
Do the following:
- If you become ill, even with very mild symptoms you must self-isolate.
- Even if you don’t think you have been exposed to COVID-19 but develop symptoms, then self-isolate and monitor yourself.
- You are more likely to infect others in the early stages of the disease when you just have mild symptoms, therefore early self-isolation is very important.
- If you do not have symptoms, but have been exposed to an infected person, self-quarantine for 14 days.
- If you have definitely had COVID-19 (confirmed by a test) self-isolate for 10 days even after symptoms have disappeared as a precautionary measure – it is not yet known exactly how long people remain infectious after they have recovered.
Self-isolation is an important measure taken by those who have COVID-19 symptoms to avoid infecting others in the community, including family members.
Self-isolation is when a person who is experiencing fever, cough or other COVID-19 symptoms stays at home and does not go to work, school or public places. This can be voluntarily or based on his/her healthcare provider’s recommendation.
In this case:
- Have a large, well-ventilated single room with hand hygiene and toilet facilities. If this is not available place beds at least one metre apart.
- Keep at least one metre distance from others, even from your family members.
- Monitor your symptoms daily.
- Self-isolate for 10 days, even if you feel healthy.
- If you develop difficulty breathing, contact your healthcare provider immediately – call them first if possible.
- Stay positive and energised by keeping in touch with loved ones by phone or online, and by exercising yourself at home.
To self-quarantine means to separate yourself from others because you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 even though you, yourself, do not have symptoms. During self-quarantine you monitor yourself for symptoms. The goal of the self-quarantine is to prevent transmission. Since people who become ill with COVID-19 can infect people immediately self-quarantine can prevent some infections from happening.
In this case:
- Have a large, well-ventilated single room with hand hygiene and toilet facilities.
- If this is not available place beds at least one metre apart.
- Keep at least one metre distance from others, even from your family members.
- Monitor your symptoms daily.
- Self-quarantine for 14 days, even if you feel healthy.
- If you develop difficulty breathing, contact your healthcare provider immediately – call them first if possible.
- Stay positive and energized by keeping in touch with loved ones by phone or online, and by exercising yourself at home.
Quarantine means restricting activities or separating people who are not ill themselves but may have been exposed to COVID-19. The goal is to prevent spread of the disease at the time when people just develop symptoms.
Isolation means separating people who are ill with symptoms of COVID-19 and may be infectious to prevent the spread of the disease.
Social distancing means being physically apart. The World Health Organization recommends keeping at least one metre distance from others. This is a general measure that everyone should take even if they are well with no known exposure to COVID-19.
Research indicates that children and adolescents are just as likely to become infected as any other age group and can spread the disease.
Evidence to date suggests that children and young adults are less likely to get severe disease, but severe cases can still happen in these age groups.
Children and adults should follow the same guidance on self-quarantine and self-isolation if there is a risk they have been exposed or are showing symptoms. It is particularly important that children avoid contact with older people and others who are at risk of more severe disease.