Praveen Kumar Gupta

COVID-19

Coronavirus disease 2019 is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 . It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and has resulted in an ongoing pandemic. The first confirmed case has been traced back to 17 November 2019 in Hubei. As of, more than cases have been reported across countries and territories, resulting in more than deaths. More than people have recovered. Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell and taste. multi-organ failure, septic shock, and blood clots. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days, but may range from two to fourteen days. The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, most often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, and talking. The droplets usually fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than travelling through air over long distances. Transmission may also occur through smaller droplets that are able to stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time. Less commonly, people may become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then touching their face. Chest CT imaging may also be helpful for diagnosis in individuals where there is a high suspicion of infection based on symptoms and risk factors; however, guidelines do not recommend using CT imaging for routine screening. Recommended measures to prevent infection include frequent hand washing, maintaining physical distance from others, quarantine, covering coughs, and keeping unwashed hands away from the face. The use of cloth face coverings such as a scarf or a bandana has been recommended by health officials in public settings to minimise the risk of transmissions, with some authorities requiring their use. Health officials also stated that medical-grade face masks, such as N95 masks, should be used only by healthcare workers, first responders, and those who directly care for infected individuals. There are no vaccines nor specific antiviral treatments for COVID-19. The World Health Organization declared the COVID‑19 outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020.
Now total of 9 countries are free from corona virus.