Covid-19

“Ah go dead! I catch d virus.” -E. N. Allen

|| Eddie N. Allen, is concerned that he has covid-19, a new virus which he has heard about in the news.

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What will happen if I get the virus?

• As of April 2020, we are unsure of what will happen to each individual who contracts the virus. This uncertainty understandably causes anxiety.

 

But seriously, what is most likely to happen to me?

• Chances are that you will have no symptoms. (1) In fact, chances are you caught the virus from someone who doesn’t know that they had the infection! Again, this introduces even more uncertainty!

 

Could someone explain the numbers to me?

• Most people who get the virus will not require hospital admission. Unfortunately, a small minority of persons who are diagnosed with covid-19 will need support to breathe. Even if they are supported, they may still die.

 

I don’t care about the numbers; what I want to know is, will I die?!

• I’m sorry to say that some people will die. Most persons who have Covid-19 will be fine. However, persons who have many other medical conditions would be at increased risk. (2)

 

Is there any treatment?

• Unfortunately, there is no cure for covid-19 at present. There are lots of supportive measures that can be used for the virus, including those above, but most will recover without any problems.

 

Where can I get more information?

Our team recommends the following two links. If you want to ask a member of the team a question regarding covid-19, please engage with our social media platforms. Tag your friends in the posts as over the next few weeks, we will be sharing further myths about COVID.

• World Health Organisation:  https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
• UpToDate: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

(1)  Chan, Jasper Fuk-Woo, et al. “A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster.” The Lancet 395.10223 (2020): 514-523.

(2)  Huang, Chaolin, et al. “Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China.” The Lancet 395.10223 (2020): 497-506.