CORONAVIRUS FACT SHEETWhat's important right now is to get the facts about the virus and have a smart response, rather than a mass panic. A mass panic could potentially be more dangerous than the virus itself (as we see with the decreasing supply of surgical masks). The outbreak started in China. After a December 2019 outbreak in China, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified a new type of coronavirus, which is fatal. The organization named the virus COVID-19. The outbreak quickly moved from China around the world. It spreads the same way other coronaviruses do, through person-to-person contact. (WebMD) Symptoms can show up anywhere from 2-14 days after exposure. (WebMD) Early on, the symptoms of COVID-19 are much like the common cold: fever, cough, shortness of breath. (WebMD) Infections range from mild to serious. The virus can turn deadly if it leads to pneumonia, respiratory failure, or septic shock. Those most at risk of death are the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. (WebMD) The fatality rate so far is 2% of all cases. (World Health Organization) There is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-19. Those affected should receive care to relieve symptoms and most patients recover due to supportive care. (Aljazeera) WHAT IS THE CORONAVIRUS? Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (CDC) What is the Coronavirus? (WebMD) Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak (WHO) The 10 most common questions on the coronavirus answered (Aljazeera, 2-27-20) 3 charts that compare coronavirus to previous outbreaks (World Economic Forum, 2-19-20) |