The Coronavirus outbreak (officially known as Covid-19), which started in China, has killed 3,114,480 people across the globe and infected 147,139,459 (as of April 25, 2021). The virus has spread to 192 countries. In India, 16,960,172 confirmed cases and 192,311 deaths had been reported so far, according to official figures released by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). To check the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, or Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced nationwide lockdown till May, meaning the country's 1.3 billion citizens - except those engaged in providing essential services - would not step out of their homes. This lockdown was extended a couple of times and lifted in a graded way starting June 2020.
Coronavirus in India and elsewhere: Total number of cases in India (state-wise) and all countries of the world
What is coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses that are common among animals. In rare cases, they can be transmitted from animals to humans. The spikes protruding from the virus's membrane look like the sun's corona. From this, the virus gets the name 'coronavirus.' It causes illnesses of the respiratory tract, ranging from the common cold to severe conditions like SARS. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
What is the difference between Coronavirus and Covid-19?
Covid-19 is the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, which originated from China Wuhan. In February, World Health Organization (WHO) named the novel coronavirus "Covid-19". "Co" stands for "corona," "vi" for "virus," and "d" for "disease," while "19" was for the year, as the outbreak was first identified on December 31.
According to the WHO, "there are different procedures, and purposes, for naming viruses and diseases."
"Viruses are named based on their genetic structure to facilitate the development of diagnostic tests, vaccines, and medicines."
Viruses are named by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
This particular virus was named "severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2" - or SARS-CoV-2.
The WHO says that "from a risk communications perspective, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003".
Hence, the name 'Covid-19 virus "was given.
Also Read Coronavirus: Govt issues advisory on social distancing to contain the outbreak.
Symptoms of coronavirus
Coronavirus can make people sick, usually mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illnesses, similar to a common cold. Some of the symptoms are
- A general feeling of being unwell
- Runny nose
- sore throat
- Headache
- Cough
- Fever
If someone is facing lower-respiratory tract illnesses, such as pneumonia or bronchitis, they must seek professional health immediately.
Is there a vaccine for coronavirus?
There is no specific treatment for coronavirus and no vaccine to prevent it.
Plasma therapy a possible coronavirus treatment?
With no surety of a definite treatment in sight, doctors around the world are dusting off a century-old treatment for infections: infusion of blood plasma teeming with immune molecules that might help survivors beat the infection. Convalescent plasma is an experimental procedure for coronavirus patients. Click here to read more.
Coronavirus helpline number and e-mail id
Union Health Ministry has activated a toll-free 24x7 national helpline number, 1075, to address queries related to the infection. Anyone seeking information can also call on the number 011-23978046.
The helpline e-mail ID for Coronavirus is ncov2019 [at] Gmail [dot] com
AI chatbot - A WhatsApp helpline to answer queries about Coronavirus
An AI-based automated helpline helps to address queries regarding Covid-19. While not being an official helpline, an information source such as nCov is useful in helping individuals get a quick response to common queries on Coronavirus. The AI chatbot is integrated into WhatsApp and can be reached by any user by messaging on + 91-93213-98773. The chatbot is privately operated and is promoted by Mumbai-based startup Haptik.
Who is more likely to be a victim of coronavirus?
People with a weakened immune system, cardiopulmonary disease, infants, and older adults are more likely to be affected by a coronavirus.
Also, Read Coronavirus Q&A: From prevention to testing, all that you need to know.
How do you catch coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are zoonotic. This implies that they are passed on between animals and people. When Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) sickened thousands of people worldwide - and killed nearly 800 - during a 2003 outbreak, investigations found that it was transmitted from civet cats to humans. MERS-CoV was transmitted from camels to humans. There are several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. On January 7, the Chinese authorities identified coronavirus (2019-nCoV) as the causative virus behind cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. This novel coronavirus has not been previously identified in humans. Hence experts say it's too early to figure out the exact cause of the infection.
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