What is coronavirus?
A coronavirus is a group of common viruses. They are named for the crown-like spikes on the surface of the virus. Some coronaviruses only affect animals, but others can also affect humans. Most people get infected with human coronaviruses at some time in their life. This usually causes mild to moderate upper-respiratory infections, like the common cold. But they can also cause more severe illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia.
There are several different types of human coronaviruses, including the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses.
Types
Different types of human coronaviruses vary in the severity of the illness they cause and how far they can spread.
There are currently six recognized types of coronavirus that can infect humans.
Common types include:
- 229E (alpha coronavirus)
- NL63 (alpha coronavirus)
- OC43 (beta coronavirus)
- HKU1 (beta coronavirus)
Rarer, more dangerous types include MERS-CoV, which causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV), the coronavirus responsible for SARS.
How coronavirus spread?
There has not been a great deal of research on how a human coronavirus spreads from one person to the next.
However, it is believed that viruses transmit using secreted fluid from the respiratory system.
Coronaviruses can spread in the following ways:
- Coughing and sneezing without covering the mouth can disperse droplets into the air, spreading the virus.
- Touching or shaking hands with a person that has the virus can pass the virus from one person to another.
- Making contact with a surface or object that has the virus and then touching your nose, eyes, or mouth.
- On rare occasions, a coronavirus may spread through contact with feces.
People in the U.S. are more likely to contract the disease in the winter or fall. The disease is still active during the rest of the year. Young people are most likely to contract a coronavirus, and people can contract more than one infection over the course of a lifetime. Most people will become infected with at least one coronavirus in their life.
It is said that the mutating abilities of the coronavirus are what make it so contagious.
Symptoms of coronavirus
Cold- or flu-like symptoms usually set in from two to four days after coronavirus infection, and they are typically mild.
Symptoms include:
- Sneezing
- A runny nose
- Fatigue
- A cough
- In rare cases, fever
- A sore throat
- Exacerbated asthma
Complications
In advanced cases, the patient can have very serious complications, which can lead to death, such as:
- Severe pneumonia
- Renal (Kidney) failure
- Coronavirus infection is similar to the common cold and typically affects the upper respiratory tract
- It finally leads to death
Diagnosis
Your healthcare provider may order laboratory tests on respiratory specimens and serum (part of your blood) to detect human coronaviruses. Laboratory testing is more likely to be used if you have severe disease or are suspected of having MERS.
If you are experiencing symptoms, you should tell your healthcare provider about any recent travel or contact with animals. Most MERS-CoV infections have been reported from countries in the Arabian Peninsula. Therefore reporting a travel history or contact with camels or camel products is very important when trying to diagnose MERS.
Treatment for coronavirus
There is no vaccine for coronavirus. To help prevent a coronavirus infection, do the same things you do to avoid the common cold:
- Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Keep your hands and fingers away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Avoid close contact with people who are infected.
You treat a coronavirus infection the same way you treat a cold:
- Get plenty of rest.
- Drink fluids.
- Take over-the-counter medicine for a sore throat and fever. But don’t give aspirin to children or teens younger than 19; use ibuprofen or acetaminophen instead.
A humidifier or steamy shower can also help ease a sore and scratchy throat.
Even when a coronavirus causes MERS or SARS in other countries, the kind of coronavirus infection common in the U.S. isn’t a serious threat for an otherwise healthy adult. If you get sick, treat your symptoms and contact a doctor if they get worse or don’t go away.
Home Remedies
When you swallow a couple of pills, you may not be aware of what else it might lead to future adverse effects on the body. But treating diseases through natural, non-processed food diet is a gentle way to build a healthy body.
Here are home remedies to fight the symptoms of the coronavirus attack. You can chase the Wuhan Pneumonia with these healthy food recipes.
Four Tea that attacks coronavirus
- Lemon Tea – Kills the sore throat removes the infection from the passageway
- Ginger Tea – Eases your headaches caused by the respiratory infections
- Lemon Honey Tea – Soothes your airway passage and softens your rough coughs
- Mint Tea – Stops the runny nose and helps in easy breathing
To curb the infection of the coronavirus, detoxification is important. This virus attack is contagious and if you don’t want to be a victim of Wuhan pneumonia, it is best you remove toxins from your body.
Detoxifying recipes to stay free from infections
- Dissolve 1-2 tsp of honey in 1 cup of herbal tea (Herbs like madhuyashti, basil, peppermint, vasa)
- Prepare salads using detoxifying foods such as beetroot, radishes, cabbage, and broccoli. Boil and mix them gently, if you wish a cooked meal.
- Yoga is another way to detoxify your body. It is a healthy form of cleansing your body and mind.
Can coronavirus infections be prevented?
Right now, there aren’t any vaccines to prevent human coronavirus infections. But you may able to reduce your risk of getting or spreading an infection by
- Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Avoiding touching your face, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoiding close contact with people who are sick
- Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces that you frequently touch
- Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Then throw away the tissue and wash your hands.
- Staying home when sick