Coronavirus: definition, spread, to prevention

Definition of coronavirus (corona virus)

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness, ranging from the common cold to more severe respiratory illnesses, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

Most of the coronaviruses are harmless viruses. The corona virus in humans was first discovered in 1960 in the nose of a patient with the common cold (common cold).

This virus is named after the crown-like structure on its surface. "Corona" in Latin means "hello" or "crown".

Two human coronaviruses, OC43 and 229E, are responsible for some of the common cold.

The SARS, MERS, and COVID-19 diseases which are currently pandemics are caused by other types of coronavirus. Coronavirus is a zoonotic virus, meaning that it spreads from animals to humans.

Investigations show that the coronavirus that causes SARS (SARS-CoV) was transmitted from civets to humans. In the MERS outbreak, the animal that spreads the MERS-CoV coronavirus to humans is the dromedary camel.

Meanwhile, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is strongly suspected to have originated from pangolins.

The spread of coronavirus is the same as viruses that cause other flu, namely from coughing and sneezing, or from the touch of an infected person.

This virus can also be transmitted if you touch contaminated items, then touch your nose, eyes and mouth without washing your hands.

Types of coronavirus

Coronavirus is a virus that has many types. The names are usually distinguished based on the severity of the disease caused and how far it has spread.

Almost everyone has been infected with the corona virus at least once in their life, usually in children. Although generally appearing in autumn and winter, coronavirus can also appear in tropical Indonesia.

So far there are six types of coronavirus that are known to infect humans. Four of them are:

229E
NL63
0C43
HKU 1

The remaining two types are the rarer coronavirus, namely MERS-CoV which causes MERS disease and SARS-CoV which causes SARS.

In early January 2020, the Chinese government reported a case of a new type of coronavirus infection that causes pneumonia-like symptoms. The virus has nothing in common with any type of coronavirus.

The virus was originally known as novel coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV). After going through various observations and research, 2019-nCoV officially changed its name to SARS-CoV-2.

SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19, is suspected of being transmitted from bats and snakes to humans. However, at the end of January, the virus was also confirmed human-to-human transmission.

Symptoms of a corona virus infection

People who are infected with this virus will show different symptoms. Symptoms of a coronavirus infection usually depend on the type of virus and how serious the infection is.

If you have a mild to moderate upper respiratory infection, such as the common cold, your symptoms of coronavirus are:

Runny nose
Headache
Cough
Sore throat
Fever
Feeling unwell or tired (malaise)

Other types of coronavirus can cause more serious symptoms. These infections can lead to bronchitis and pneumonia, especially in people from risk groups.

Some of the more severe infections due to coronavirus are those that are generally more common in people with liver and heart problems, or people with weakened immune systems, infants and the elderly.

Diseases caused by coronavirus

Several types of coronavirus are the cause of serious viral infectious diseases. Various diseases that may be caused by coronavirus are as follows:

MERS

About 858 people have died from MERS, which first emerged in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and in other countries in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.

In April 2014, the first American received special treatment in hospital for MERS in Indiana and another case was reported in Florida. Both are known to have just returned from Saudi Arabia.

In May 2015, the extraordinary MERS incident took place in Korea, which is the biggest extraordinary event outside of Arabia.

Symptoms of MERS due to coronavirus is fever, difficulty breathing, and cough. The disease is spread through close contact with an infected person.

However, all MERS cases relate to people returning from a trip to the Arabian Peninsula. MERS is fatal in 30-40% of people who have it.

SARS

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV. This disease usually results in life-threatening pneumonia.

The virus originally appeared in Guangdong Province in southern China in November 2002, until it finally arrived in Hong Kong. SARS-CoV then began to spread rapidly around the world and infected people in 37 countries.

In 2003, 774 people died because of the extraordinary SARS incident. In 2015, there were no further reports of SARS cases.

Symptoms of SARS develop within a week and begin with fever. Just like the flu, the symptoms experienced by people with SARS due to coronavirus are:

Dry cough
Chills
Diarrhea
Hard to breathe

Pneumonia, a severe lung infection, may develop later. In its advanced stages, SARS causes failure of the lungs, liver, or heart.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019)

At the end of December 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a pneumonia case of unknown cause in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China.

On January 7, novel coronavirus identified as the cause of the case. The virus, then known as 2019-nCoV, had never been previously found in humans.

Research in Journal of Medical Virology said that most people infected with the new corona virus were exposed to meat from wild animals sold at the Huanan seafood market.

The Huanan Market also sells wild animals such as bats, snakes and pangolins. According to the study, the virus that causes COVID-19 comes from snakes. This also provides evidence that consumption of wild animals can increase the risk of contracting new diseases.

WHO itself has designated COVID-19 as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Even so, Wuhan, the first city for the outbreak of this disease, no longer recorded any new cases as of March 19, 2020.

This is in contrast to other parts of the world where cases have continued to increase.

How is the spread of the coronavirus?

As already mentioned, the coronavirus is a zoonotic virus. That is, this virus is transmitted from animals to humans.

Human-to-human transmission can also occur, although it has not been specifically studied. As it develops, this virus can be transmitted in several ways. The MERS-CoV virus that causes MERS can be transmitted in two ways.

First, from animals to humans. In this case, camels are believed to be the main source of the virus. SARS disease is known to originate from bats and ferrets. Transmission of the virus occurs through droplets (droplets of saliva), air or fluids that exit the respiratory system through close contact.

There is also a possibility that the droplets of the corona virus that causes SARS can survive in the air and are transmitted through this intermediary.

However, airborne transmission is more common in hospital settings. Similar to SARS, COVID-19 was originally known to have originated from snakes. Those who initially contracted the virus were known to have eaten wild animals at the Huanan Market

The mode of transmission of the coronavirus that needs to be watched out for

Even so, as it develops, experts believe that COVID-19 is transmitted from person to person through droplets and air. That is why, this virus is also referred to as the SARS type 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2).

In general, coronavirus transmission occurs through:

Through the air (the virus escapes from those who cough and sneeze without covering their mouths).
Touch or handshake with patient is positive.
Touching the surface of an object with the virus then touching the face (nose, eyes and mouth) without washing hands.

Diagnosis of diseases due to coronavirus

Here are some ways to diagnose coronavirus that doctors do to find information about the corona virus that may be infected with you:

Look at your medical history, including any symptoms you have.
Perform a physical examination.
Do a blood test.
Perform laboratory tests for sputum, a sample from the throat via a swab or PCR test, or other respiratory specimen.

If you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms, you will need to tell your doctor about any recent locations or contact with animals. Most of the MERS-CoV infections were found to originate from the Arabian Peninsula.

Meanwhile, SARS-CoV generally originates from China. It is also important to tell the doctor if you have just been from an outbreak area or public places that are suspected of being infected with this virus.

Contact with animals carrying this virus, such as camels and snakes, or using products made from camels are also important to convey to help diagnose diseases caused by coronavirus.

Treatment of coronavirus infection

Until now there has been no specific treatment for diseases caused by the corona virus in humans, as well as COVID-19 which is now endemic.

Most of the diseases caused by viruses including COVID-19 are self-limiting disease. This means that the disease can heal by itself.

However, there are things that can relieve symptoms of illness due to coronavirus, including:

Take recommended cold, pain, and fever medications such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Use a humidifier or take a hot shower to soothe sore throats and coughs.
If you have a mild illness, you need to increase your fluid intake through plain water and nutritious soup.
Get plenty of rest.
Take vitamin C to maintain endurance. In addition, combine it with several vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, E, D, and B complex.

In addition, the minerals you need such as selenium, zinc (zinc), and iron. Selenium maintains cell strength and prevents DNA damage. Then zinc triggers an immune response. In addition, iron helps the absorption of vitamin C.

Prevention of transmission of the corona virus

To prevent infection with this virus, you can adopt a clean and healthy lifestyle (PHBS). You can eat nutritious foods to maintain your immune system.

The reason is, diseases caused by viruses can generally be prevented with good body resistance. Some of the things you can do include:

Wash hands with soap and running water for 20 seconds.
Use a mask when traveling outside the home or when interacting with other people.
Maintain a minimum distance of 2 meters from other people.
Avoid touching the face (nose, mouth and eyes) with dirty hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick or have symptoms.
Avoid areas where infection / outbreaks occur.
Clean items that you touch frequently.
Cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing with a tissue and wash your hands immediately.
Do quarantine (silence) at home if sick.

The whole world is currently also implementing social distancing for the COVID-19 pandemic by limiting activities outside the home as well as contact with other people. This is an effective way to reduce the risk of transmission and flatten the COVID-19 pandemic curve.