Coronavirus (Covid 19)
The Covid-19 virus, called SARS-CoV-2, was detected in Wuhan, China on 01.12.2019 and grew in January 2020 and spread to Europe and America in about two months. WHO declared a pandemic on 11.03.2020 with the spread of the Covid-19 virus, its effect and Europe becoming the center of the virus. In the ongoing process, different measures have been developed against the virus's danger.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Covid-19 continues to have an impact from the first day it emerged. The coronavirus, which has been detected to be transmitted from person to person through physical contact, causes various symptoms in infected people. Cough, fever, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, muscle and joint pain, headache are among the most common symptoms. In addition, in more severe cases, acute respiratory failure are encountered and can lead to death.
In case of contact with the infected people and virus, symptoms similar to flu and colds occur in the first days, but these symptoms change day by day and turn into complaints such as headache, shortness of breath, dry cough, and high fever. While these symptoms vary in individuals, sometimes there are no symptoms at all.
Which diseases carry a high risk for coronavirus?
When faced with Covid-19, the duration of symptoms can vary between 2 and 14 days. This period is called the incubation period. Since the incubation period is an infectious process, quarantine practices prevent the transmission of the virus to other people. However, despite all precautions, the virus continued to spread and mutated. The new variants seen in countries such as England, Brazil and South Africa have spread more quickly and easily, causing an increase in the number of cases all over the world.
Variants found to have a higher rate of contagion have led to increased coronavirus precautions. It has also been found to have a higher risk of death. While Covid-19 maintains its risk status with its spread rate and shape, it poses a greater risk for older people and people with chronic diseases. Those with diseases such as cancer, COPD, heart failure, obesity are at higher risk against Covid-19. There is limited information on the risk status for pregnant women. Covid-19 in children is mild and less common. The symptoms of coronavirus seen in pregnant women are not different from other people. In addition, there is no information about the transmission of Covid-19 from the mother to the baby in the mother's womb.
How to protect from Corona Virus?
In order to be protected from coronavirus, it is necessary to comply with the rules developed from the first day it was seen. Hygiene rules, social distance and mask are now the three most important rules in our lives. Not contacting sick people, quarantine in case of contact, paying attention to hand hygiene, cleaning of consumed food, avoiding crowded environments, not being in closed environments without using a mask are among the rules that must be followed.
There is no definitive treatment for Covid-19, which continues to be effective. There are treatment methods developed to reduce the effects of the symptoms seen. In case of worsening of symptoms, respiratory support and various drug treatments are applied. In addition, in case of symptoms, it is recommended that people apply to health institutions and get tested. The test is performed by taking swabs from the mouth and nose. If the test result is positive, the quarantine process should be continued without contacting anyone and the measures to reduce the contagious effect should be followed.
Which vaccine is more effective against coronavirus?
Various vaccines have been developed against the coronavirus, which are not a complete cure but aim to acquire acquired immunity. It has been observed that vaccines have been developed in a short time and the number of cases has a great effect on the rate of spread and the reduction of the effect of symptoms. Sinovac developed by China, Biontech developed by Germany, Sputnik vaccine, which was first registered in the world and developed in Russia, is among the vaccines developed against the Coronavirus. Although it is discussed that vaccines can have many side effects, it has been determined that there are no different conditions other than mild and short-term effects such as fever, weakness, headache.