CHEARS

Introduction :

• In india , we are witnessing almost 1 lakh covid 19 positive per day, which is going to be the worst in the coming days.

• So we have to take some measures to protect ourselves from this pandemic.

• Covid-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered virus SARS CoV belonging to corona virus family.

• Most of the infected people will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment but the infected people at high risk such as adults above 60 years of age and those with underlying medical conditions like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

• WHO declared Covid-19 as global pandemic

• Till now covid 19 has spread to 215 countries infecting almost 27.2 M people and 891 K confirmed deaths world wide.

Symptoms:

Covid 19 can cause a wide range of symptoms, including :-

• Fever

• Fatigue

• dry cough

• aches & pains

• runny nose

• sore throat

• shortness of breath

• Loss of smell.

· In most critical cases Covid 19 can cause severe pneumonia, multiple organ failure and death.

· WHO declared that the fatality rate due to covid 19 is 5.9, which is far above the seasonal flu.

Difference between Covid 19 Vs Flu Vs Common Cold:

Signs And Symptoms

Covid 19

• Fever - Common

• Sneezing - No

• Fatigue - Sometimes

• Tiredness - Sometimes

• Body aches - Sometimes

• Head ache- Sometimes

• Sore throat - Sometimes

• Runny nose - Rare

• Diarrhea - Rare

• Watery eyes - No

• Cough - Common

• Shortness of breath - Common

• Difficulty breathing - common with moderate to severe infections

Flu

• Fever - Common

• Sneezing - No

• Fatigue - Common

• Tiredness - Common

• Body aches - Common

• Head ache - Common

• Sore throat - Common

• Runny nose - Sometimes

• Diarrhea - Sometimes

• Watery eyes - No

• Cough - Common

• Shortness of breath - No

• Difficulty breathing - In severe infections

Common Cold

• Fever - Rare

• Sneezing - Common

• Fatigue - Sometimes

• Tiredness - Sometimes

• Body aches - Common

• Head ache - Rare

• Sore throat - Common

• Runny nose - Common

• Diarrhea - No

• Watery eyes - Common

• Cough - Mild

• Shortness of breath - No

• Difficulty breathing - No

How does Covid-19 spreads:

• Like the other corona viruses , the new SARS CoV also transmits from person to person via droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.

• It can also spread via contaminated surfaces such as doors, handles, railings etc.,

• It was estimated that an infected person can spread the virus to 2.5-3 other people on average.

Precautions:

• As there is no effective vaccine available for the prevention of Covid-19, practising physical distancing of not less than 3 feet is the best way to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

• Washing hands regularly with soap and water or cleaning hands using alcohol based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

• Avoid going to crowd places.

• Always try to stay home unless it is emergency.

• Stay home and self isolate if you notice even mild fever, cough, cold and body aches.

• Take good care for the high risk population.

• If you notice any of the symptoms like high fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing then seek immediate medical attention.

• Keep upto date on the latest information from trusted sources like WHO, local and national health authorities

Conclusion:

If we follow the preventive measures strictly, the chances of getting infection decreases, finally number of new cases reduces drastically,