What to say at this point of the CORONAVIRUS that you no longer know, although there are many things that we still do not know.
The problem is more serious than we thought and the key to stopping this is in each one of us. By protecting ourselves, we will protect the most vulnerable, those who matter most, those with the highest mortality rate, and also those who treat us as virologist Marga del Val says in a recent article.
Mortality appears to be somewhat higher than a flu, and infectivity is even higher. It is believed that the virus will affect 80% of the population, and of these 80% will suffer mild respiratory symptoms, and 20% between moderate and severe. Only 10% will suffer a serious clinical picture.
Regarding children, it seems that they suffer very slightly, and they almost go unnoticed, but they are carriers and can infect, so it is convenient to limit contact with the most vulnerable.
You know it is spread by saliva drops, which when coughing fall into hands, clothes, objects and is active for up to 5 minutes; if we touch that drop and then touch our eyes, nose or mouth, contagion occurs.
What steps to take?
In addition to:
- Extreme hygiene, through hand washes with a hydroalcoholic gel, or only with soap as many times as necessary
- Wear masks if you are coughing
- Maintain a distance of two meters from the coughing
- Avoid greetings with contact
Too:
- Stay at home, avoiding going out to restaurants, cinemas, theaters, shopping malls, …
- Consult by telephone with public or private health services in case of personal questions or situations, who will inform you of what to do and, only in some cases, will recommend taking the CORONAVIRUS test.
At the moment there are no vaccines or medications, but there are several under study that we hope will come out soon and we can apply them to the population. That is what it is about, to contain the explosion of the epidemic, to advance as slowly as possible so that we give time to the appearance of the long-awaited vaccines and / or medicines to fight the virus.
Therefore, seclusion at home, quarantine at work, is necessary to reduce the rate of infection. The arrival of summer is expected to make the virus disappear in the northern hemisphere, although we do not know what will happen in the southern hemisphere. We hope there will be vaccines by then.
Please try to prevent our healthcare system from collapsing, as until now the treatments are only supportive (oxygen, hydration, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antibiotics if complicated by bacterial infection, in short, life support).
Remember that we are in a pandemic, that I can become infected and that I can infect, so cancel everything cancellable, avoid unnecessary trips, crowds, large meetings, unnecessary trips, and if they tell you to stay home, do not go out for drinks or to a shopping centre, but stay at home and go out only for the essentials, avoiding going to see your elders, talk to them on WhatsApp or by phone.
Hopefully, soon this will only be a disease that lives with us like the flu, with its annual vaccinations, but for that, the evolution of the pandemic must be contained and that we give time to health proffessionals to work and scientists to develop the vaccine and the necessary treatments to control CORONAVIRUS.
Dr. Salvador Álvarez
Medical Director of HC Marbella
March 13, 2020
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