CORONAVIRUS CARE KIT
The most common symptoms often feel like a cold or the flu. They include fever, coughing (often a dry cough), and shortness of breath. Symptoms can appear anywhere from 2 to 14 days after you’re exposed. You may also get a sore throat, body aches or tiredness. But these are more typical of the flu. Headaches, runny nose, congestion, sneezing, and nausea are NOT symptoms of COVID-19 – they are symptoms of colds and the flu. If you have any of these, you likely don’t have COVID-19. (Cleveland Clinic put together this great graphic of all the symptoms). HOWDEADLY IS IT? This is a topic of great debate. Initially, I scoffed at the high numbers. The problem is that, since COVID-19 has symptoms so close to a cold, many folks are undiagnosed. That means the number of infected is likely much, much higher than reported, and much higher than even the so-called “experts” think. That means the mortality rate is likely lower. I still think the lower rate will be close to the truth, but sadly we have to wait for the final numbers. And between then and now it could get ugly. With the current data, the death rate is between 1.5% and 3.4%. But remember, that’s only officially confirmed cases. Many cases remain unconfirmed. As I said, I’ll still wager the percentage is under 1%. (For perspective, the seasonal influenza virus death rate is around 0.1%)
the hospital and ICU resources. Folks will die because there isn’t room in the hospital. But I don’t want you to panic. I want to encourage you again to remember your commonsense and arm yourself with information. That’s why I wrote this simple guide for the coronavirus (“COVID-19”). I want you to read it and share it with everyone you know. It could save your life or the life of a loved one. Headaches, runny nose, congestion, sneezing, and nausea are NOT symptoms of COVID-19 – they are symptoms of colds and the flu. WHAT IS THIS COVID-19? COVID-19 is a new coronavirus – that’s a family of viruses that have a “corona” (or outer ring) surrounding the main viral sphere. It’s “19” because it first appeared in 2019. Coronaviruses like this one don’t usually afflict humans... only other types of animals. But sometimes viruses jump across species lines. For example, in 2003 there was a severe acute respiratory syndrome (“SARS”) and in 2012 there was a Middle East respiratory syndrome (“MERS”). Both were outbreaks which came from viruses that jumped from animals to humans. This virus is similar to SARS and MERS in that it affects the respiratory system. What are the symptoms of COVID-19? And how do I know I have this and not the flu or a cold?
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March 2020
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