Late in 2019, scientists began monitoring the spread of SARS-CoV-2, a novel coronavirus that produces COVID-19. They discovered the virus in Wuhan, China. The virus quickly spread around the world, including the state of Tennessee, leading the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a pandemic in March 2020.
The COVID-19 virus enters the body through the mouth, nose, or eyes (directly from the airborne droplets or from the transfer of the virus from your hands to your face). It then travels to the back of your nasal passages and the mucous membrane in your throat.
It binds to the cells, multiplies, and travels into the lung tissue.
Many individuals with COVID-19 have a mild version of the disease that may not necessitate specialized treatment. Others experience serious breathing problems and must be admitted to the hospital for treatment.
Symptoms Of Covid-19:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms may occur 2 to 14 days after exposure. The time between exposure and onset of symptoms is referred to as the incubation period. You can still spread COVID-19 even if you don’t have symptoms (pre-symptomatic transmission). The following are examples of common signs and symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Fatigue
Other signs and symptoms may include:
- Breathing difficulties or shortness of breath
- Muscle pain
- Chills
- Throat pain
- Headache
- Headache
- Chest discomfort
- Pink-eye (conjunctivitis)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Skin rashes
Just over a week after symptoms begin, some people may experience worsened symptoms, such as shortness of breath. It can eventually cause pneumonia.
COVID-19 symptoms can range in severity from extremely minor to severe. Some individuals may just develop a few symptoms. Some people may not develop any symptoms at all, but they might still spread it (asymptomatic transmission).
Risk Factors For Serious Disease Of Covid-19:
People over the age of 65 are at a higher risk of serious disease from COVID-19, and the risk increases with age. People who already have medical issues may be at a higher risk of serious disease. The following medical factors may enhance the risk of serious disease from COVID-19:
- Heart failure, coronary artery disease, and cardiomyopathy
- Cancer
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Diabetes type 1 or diabetes type 2
- Obesity, whether mild or severe
- Too high Blood pressure
- Smoking
- Chronic kidney disease
- Thalassemia, often known as sickle cell disease
- The immune system weakened as a result of solid organ transplants or bone marrow transplants
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy
- Cystic fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension
- Dementia
- Down syndrome
- The immune system weakened as a result of a bone marrow transplant, HIV, or certain drugs
- Strokes
- Brain and nervous system conditions
- Substance abuse
Measures You Can Do To Take Care Of Yourself:
Even if there are no symptoms, a person infected with coronavirus may produce aerosols when they speak or breathe.
Someone else could inhale these aerosols and become infected with the coronavirus. So you can do the following measures to take care of yourself and your family members:
- Put On A Face Mask In Public Places:
The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 spreads mostly through viral particles in the air or droplets containing the virus. People who are sick but do not have symptoms, or who have not yet developed symptoms, can still infect others. Masks help minimize the amount of virus we inhale and exhale.
Masks protect the person as well, even if they are completely vaccinated. High-quality KN95, KF94, and N95 masks provide the greatest filtration and fit. Surgical masks can also be used to filter out tiny virus particles. A fabric mask can be worn on top of a surgical mask to improve fit.
- Maintain A Minimum Of Six Feet Of Space Between Yourself And Others:
The COVID-19 virus transmits predominantly when one person breathes in droplets or aerosols produced by an infected person coughing, sneezing, talking, or breathing.
Physical distancing is done to prevent or stop the transmission of an infectious disease.
Generally, it means keeping a sufficient space (six feet or more) between you and another person to avoid becoming infected or infecting someone else.
- Wash Your Hands With Soap And Water Regularly:
You should wash your hands with soap and water frequently.
- Keep Your Immune System Strong:
When a dangerous pathogen enters your body, your immune system launches an attack. This attack, known as an immune response, is a series of activities that involves multiple cells and unfolds over time.
Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to keep your immune system strong.
If you suspect that you are not getting all of the nutrients you require from your diet, take a multivitamin.
- Do regular exercise
- Maintain a normal weight.
- Maintain healthy blood pressure.
- Stop using tobacco and drinking alcohol.
- Get enough sleep.
- Get Vaccinated:
Getting vaccinated and boosted is the greatest approach to lower your chance of symptoms, especially becoming extremely ill.
Vaccination is an effective strategy for preventing a wide range of infectious diseases.
You can gain protection — or immunity — against a certain disease if you have been immunized against it. A COVID-19 vaccination is an important tool in the fight against the virus. WHO has approved numerous vaccines against Covid 19 including Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm, Sinovac, etc.
Some vaccines need repeated doses administered weeks or months apart. This is usually required to allow for the development of long-lasting antibodies and the formation of memory cells. In this approach, the body is taught to resist the specific disease-causing organism, storing the pathogen’s memory so that it can fight it quickly if and when it is exposed in the future.
You can get vaccinated at many hospitals and primary care clinics across the United States.
Schedule a visit with your primary care doctor if you have any questions or concerns regarding risk factors and complications with the Covid-19 vaccine. Don’t have one? Find a primary care doctor in Cleveland, TN.
Other Measures:
Other things you may do to take care of yourself and your family members are as follows:
- Avoid close contact with sick persons.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- When you’re sick, stay at home.
- Avoid huge crowds.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and discard it in the garbage.
- Regularly clean frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Covid-19 Testing:
PCR is the most performed test for covid-19 in the United States. PCR Covid Testing is a very accurate test to diagnose covid-19.
A swab is taken from the nose, or back of your throat and the RT-PCR method is applied to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 genome.
Having symptoms and want to get tested for Covid-19? Find Covid testing in Cleveland, TN today.
Covid-19 Treatment:
Many individuals with COVID-19 can be treated with supportive treatment. Supportive treatment can alleviate symptoms and may include:
- Pain relievers
- Cough medicine or cough syrup
- Rest
- Drink plenty of water
- Ventilator support
- Regeneron (REGEN-COV)
You can find treatment for Covid-19 at many primary care and urgent care clinics across the Chattanooga, Cleveland, Hixson, Dunlap, and Sale Creek areas.
Joe Janeski
FastAccessHealthcare.com
Joe Janeski is a blogger, web developer, and current Master’s student at the University of Pennsylvania. His areas of interest include medical research, computer science, and digital marketing. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking with his girlfriend and his two dogs, Arlo and Samson. He currently resides in Cleveland, TN and enjoys helping businesses amplify their online digital presence.
References:
- (n.d.). “How To Protect Yourself & Others”. Retrieved from Cdc.gov: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
- (n.d.). “Coronavirus, COVID-19”. Retrieved from Clevelandclinic.org: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21214-coronavirus-covid-19
- (n.d.). “Prevent COVID-19: How To Protect Yourself From The Coronavirus”. Retrieved from Nyp.gov:
https://healthmatters.nyp.org/how-to-protect-yourself-from-coronavirus-covid-19/
- (n.d.). “Coronavirus Prevention”. Retrieved from Webmd.com: https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-prevention-overview
- (n.d.). “Advice For The Public: Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)”. Retrieved from Who.int:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public