COVID-19 101
How did COVID-19 get it's name?"COVID-19" is the name of the condition caused by the novel coronavirus (also known as SARS-CoV-2). "Coronavirus" is a category of viruses, and "novel" means that it is newly identified by scientists. This one was identified in 2019, hence the name Covid-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease this way: COronaVIrus Disease-2019, or COVID-19. Learn more about naming disease here.
SymptomsLike other viruses, this one causes a broad spectrum of symptoms, some of which can lead to serious health consequences, including death. It is fast-moving, partly because of the fact that no one was immune to it when it arrived on the scene. Additionally, there is a long period of time during which a person is symptom-free but capable of spreading the virus before becoming ill; in many cases, people have no symptoms at all ever. Age, gender, general health, and other factors predict the likelihood that someone will become symptomatic. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and may include the temporary loss of the senses of taste and smell.
PandemicThe WHO declared COVID a pandemic on March 11, 2020. The organization's working definition of "pandemic" is "... the worldwide spread of a new disease." Read more here. This is the first time that a corona virus has caused a pandemic, according to this 4/13/2020 WHO report. For this reason, countries, US states and territories, counties, and cities have developed policies to prevent the spread of the virus. Many people have lost their jobs or are working at home; students are studying from home, and so-called "non-essential" business are closed until it is safer to reopen.
You can prevent the spread.This virus appears to be spread through "droplet infection". Droplets are just that: tiny little drops of moisture containing (in this case) the coronavirus. When a person breathes, moisture leaves the mouth and nose containing microorganisms. These droplets can be sent out for quite a distance, but seem to stop shy of 6 feet. That's the reason for the "social distancing" orders.
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