2. Symptoms

Watch for symptoms

Factual illnesses have ranged from mild symptoms to critical illness and death for confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.

The following signs may appear 2-14 days after exposure,... *

Fever

Cough

Shortness of breath

The most similar symptoms are fever (88%) and dry cough (68%). Exhaustion (38%), expectoration of mucus when coughing (33%), shortness of breath (18%), sore throat (14%), headaches (14%), muscle aches (14%), chills (11%) are also common.Mild nausea and vomiting (5%), stuffy nose (5%) and diarrhoea (4%) are others. Running nose is not a symptom of Covid.

3. Prevention & treatment

How To Protect Yourself:

The 2019 coronavirus disease protection vaccine (COVID-19) actually does not exist. The optimal way to prevent illness is to avoid contact with that virus. As a reminder, however, CDC(T he Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking and investigating public health trends.) also recommends routine protective measures to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases including: avoid close contact with sick people.

Avoid touching your eyes, your nose and your mouth.

Go home, if you're sick.

Cover with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the garbage.

The often touched items and surfaces are washed and disinfected using a regular household spray or scrub.

Follow advice from CDC to use a facemask

CDC does not recommend that people who are well using a facemask, like COVID-19, protect themselves from respiratory diseases.

People who depict signs of COVID-19 should use facial masks to help control the disease from spreading to others. The use of facemasks is also important for health workers and individuals who care for someone in close proximity (at home or in a healthcare facility).

Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, especially after getting to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

Use a sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not readily available.

When hands are visibly dirty, wash hands with soap and water always.

For handwashing information, see CDC's Handwashing website For healthcare specific information, see CDC's Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings These are daily practices that can help prevent the spread of multiple viruses. CDC has specific guidelines for travelers.

4. Treatment



There is no confirmed antiviral treatment recommended for COVID-19. People with COVID-19 should receive adequate care to help relieve symptoms. For critical cases, treatment should include care to support vital organ functions.

People who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 should consult their healthcare provider as soon as possible.

Recommendations for Reporting, Testing, and Specimen Collection

Updated February 28, 2020

Clinicians should implement advised infection prevention and control methods if a patient is suspected of having COVID-19. They should also inform infection control personnel at their healthcare unit and their state or local health department if a patient is found positive for COVID-19. State health departments that have identified a laboratory-confirmed case should complete a PUI and Case Report form through the processes identified on CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 website.Local health departments can contact for assistance with obtaining, storing, and shipping appropriate specimens for testing, including after hours or on weekends or holidays.

For initial diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2, it is recommended to collect and test upper respiratory tract specimens (nasopharyngeal AND oropharyngeal swabs). CDC also recommends testing lower respiratory tract specimens. For patients who develop a productive cough, sputum should be collected and analyzed for SARS-CoV-2. The induction of sputum is not recommended. For patients for whom it is found (e.g., those receiving invasive mechanical ventilation), a lower respiratory tract aspirate sample should be collected and tested as a lower respiratory tract specimen. Specimens should be collected once a it is found, regardless of the time of symptom appearance.

" China's bold approach to containing the rapid contamination of this new respiratory pathogen has changed the course of a rapidly escalating and deadly epidemic. Faced with a previously undiscovered virus, China has perhaps launched the most ambitious agile and proactive containment effort in history.The uncompromising and rigorous use of China of non-pharmaceutical interventions to suppress COVID-19 virus spread in multiple settings provides vital lessons for a global response. This rather unusual and unparalleled response to public health in China reversed the escalating cases in both Hubei, where population transmission has been widespread, and the importation regions, where family clusters seem to have caused the epidemic.

Treatment is handled with care, which means giving fluids, medicine to reduce fever, and, in severe cases, giving oxygen. People who become severely ill from COVID-19 need a respirator to help them breathe. Bacterial infection can complicate this viral infection. Patients require antibiotics in cases of bacterial pneumonia as well as COVID-19.

Antiviral methods used for HIV and other compounds are being scrutinized.

There’s no proof that supplements, such as vitamin C, or probiotics will help.

Five per cent of the public diagnosed with Covid need artificial breathing. Another 15% need to breathe in highly concentrated oxygen -not just for a couple of days. The period from the beginning of the disease until recovery is 3 to 6 weeks on an average for critical patients (as only 2 weeks for the mildly ill). The scale and period of the treatments overburdened the health care system in Wuhan. The province of Hubei, whose capital is Wuhan, had 65,596 infected people until now.40,000 employees were sent to Hubei from other areas to help fight the epidemic. 45 hospitals in Wuhan are caring for Covid patients, 6 Among which are patients in critical condition and 39 medication for seriously ill patients and infectious people over 65 years of age. Within a short time, two temporary hospitals were built with 2,600 beds. Eighty percent of those infected have minor diseases, ten temporary hospitals have been set up for them in gymnasiums and exhibition halls.

5 . Testing





A new laboratory test kit has been developed for use in testing patient specimens for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus which causes COVID-19. The test kit is called the 'Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real-Time Reverse Transcriptase (RT)-PCR Diagnostic Panel.' It is intended for use with SDS 1.4 software on the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast DX Real-Time PCR Instrument. This test is aimed for use with upper and lower respiratory specimens collected from persons who meet CDC criteria for COVID-19 testing.

CDC's test kit is intended for use by World health organization-designated laboratories as authorized and qualified under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) in the United States to perform high complexity research. The test kits will also be sent to accredited foreign laboratories, such as Global Influenza Surveillance Response System (GISRS) laboratories at the World Health Organization (WHO). The study will not be available in hospitals in the United States or in other primary care environments. The kits will be sold through the External Reagent Icon (IRR).CDC submitted a U.S. Emergency Use Application (EUA) package to the USA on Monday, February 3, 2020. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed the use of the CDC diagnostic panel in the United States to expedite FDA. The EUA process provides FDA to consider and approve the use of potentially life-saving medical or diagnostic products during a public health emergency. The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services declared the SARS-CoV-2 virus a U.S. public health emergency on Friday, January 31, 2020. FDA issued the EUA on February 4, 2020.

Now China can produce 1.6 million test kits a week against the novel coronavirus. The same day, the test produces a verdict. Across the world, anyone who goes to the doctor with a fever is checked for the virus: 320,000 people have been tested in Guangdong province,a little away from Wuhan, and 0.14 per cent were positive for the virus.

Coronavirus and India….

India maximising Efforts to control the Spread of Novel CoronaVirus..

As of 5 March a total of 30 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded as follows: in 17 cases in Jaipur, 3 cases in Delhi and NCR, 6 cases in Agra, one case in Telangana and three cases in Kerala. Hospital isolation of patients, tracing and home quarantine of contacts is underway in these localities The Office of the Prime Minister, MoHFW and Cabinet Secretary are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation. Dr. Harsh Vardhan chaired a high-level meeting on 4 March 2020 and urged States / UTs to improve core disease preparedness and surveillance capabilities and concentrate on cluster containment strategy to avoid widespread transmission of the population. A review meeting was chaired by the cabinet secretary through video conference on 3 March 2020, where States were asked to monitor airport management in conjunction with Airport Health agencies (APHOs) and airport managers. Rules for cluster areas were shared with states and chief secretaries were asked to monitor the guidelines. States were also asked to identify potential quarantine facilities, increase isolation wards and actively involve district collectors in city, block and village cluster management.

At the point of entry, passengers arriving directly or indirectly from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Nepal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam are screened. Indian people are advised to avoid traveling to China, Iran, Italy, Republic of Korea and are instructed to avoid trips that are not necessary.

The Government of India has shown strong commitment to COVID-19 preparedness and resolution, which is led by the office of the Prime Minister and coordinated by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW). Emphasis is on the entry point screening, examination, validation, isolation and case management. The central government is working closely with the states on all aspects of communication tracing through the Integrated System for Disease Surveillance. The WHO Country Office for India has collaborated with MoHFW, state authorities and key institutions on critical components such as monitoring, contract tracking, laboratory testing, prevention of infections, risk management.

Dr Henk Bekedam

WHO Country Representative to India

COVID-19 case update Posted On: 05 MAR 2020 7:17PM by PIB Delhi:

The overall number of positive COVID-19 cases is now 30. These include Kerala's previous three (3) cases which have now been discharged. Additionally, there are three (3) from Delhi and NCR, (two with travel history from Italy and one with travel history from Iran); six (6) first Delhi Case contacts with travel history from

Italy; one (1) from Telangana with travel history from Dubai and contact from Singapore; 16 Italians and one driver (Indian) who was with the Italian tourist community.

Additionally, Telangana's earlier two supposed cases have tested negative at NIV, Pune. In addition, the 14 Italian cases, and all the Indian cases are stable, and are monitored. Cumulative 6,49,452 passengers from 6,550 flights have been screened at the airports to date. Additionally, there are 29607 persons under IDSP community surveillance and contact tracing.

Conclusion:

Much of the global community is not yet ready to implement the measures which were used to contain COVID-19 in China, both in mindset and material aspects. These are the only steps actually believed to disrupt or reduce human transmission chains. Such steps are based on extremely proactive screening for the immediate identification of cases, very rapid diagnosis and immediate isolation of cases, stringent monitoring and quarantine of close contacts, and an exceptionally high degree of understanding and acceptance by the community of those measures.

COVID-19 progresses at astonishing speed; outbreaks of COVID-19 in any setting have very serious consequences; and there is now strong evidence that non-pharmaceutical measures can reduce and even interrupt transmission. Global and regional preparedness preparation, on such interventions, is often ambivalent. To minimize COVID-19 disease and death, however, near-term preparation planning will support the large-scale introduction of high-quality, non-pharmaceutical interventions for public health. Such steps must include prompt identification and isolation of incidents, comprehensive close contact tracking and monitoring / quarantine and direct participation of the population / community.

t





6.Frequently Asked Questions and Answers

What is a novel coronavirus?

A novel coronavirus is a new coronavirus that has not been previously found. The virus causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is not the same as the coronaviruses that frequently circulate among humans and cause mild illness, like the common cold.

A diagnosis with coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is not the same as a COVID-19. Patients with COVID-19 will be monitored and cared for differently than patients with common coronavirus diagnosis.

Why is the disease being called coronavirus disease 2019, COVID-19?

On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as “2019 novel coronavirus” or “2019-nCoV”.

There are many types of human coronaviruses including Coronavirus Disease 2019 Basically cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused by a new coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. The name of this disease was selected following the World Health Organization (WHO).

What is the name of the virus causing the outbreak of coronavirus disease?

On February 11, 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses named the novel coronavirus, first identified in Wuhan, China, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, shortened to SARS-CoV-2.

As the name indicates, the virus is related to the SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) that caused an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2002-2003, But it is not the same virus.

Is SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19) the same as the MERS-CoV or SARS-CoV?

No. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses. Some coronaviruses cause cold-like illnesses in people.Illness occurs in animals, such as cattle, camels and bats. Rarely, animal coronaviruses can spread to people. This happened with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. The virus that causes COVID-19 likely came from animals and spread to humans. The coronavirus most similar to the virus causing COVID-19 is SARS-CoV. There are ongoing investigations to learn more. The scenario is changing, and information will be updated as it becomes available.

How It Spreads

What is the source of the virus?

Coronaviruses are a significant family of viruses. Others cause disease in humans, and others only affect animals, such as canine and feline coronaviruses. Animal coronaviruses infecting animals have rarely emerged to infect people, and can spread among people. This is suspected for the virus which causes COVID-19. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Extreme Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) are two other examples of animal-born coronaviruses that then spread to humans. Further information on COVID-19's source and spread is available in the Analysis of Situation: Source and Spread of the Virus.

How does the virus spread?

It was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The initial infections were related to a live animal market, but now the virus spreads from person to person. It's important to remember that spreading from person to person will occur on a continuous basis. Some viruses are highly contagious while other viruses are less so.

The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading very fast in the community (“community spread”) in some affected geographic areas. Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.

Can someone who has had COVID-19 spread the illness to others?

The virus that causes COVID-19 passes from one person to the next. Someone who is deliberately diseased with COVID-19 will spread the disease to others. That is why CDC recommends isolating these patients either in the hospital or at home (depending on how ill they are) until they are well and no longer pose a risk of infecting others.

How long someone is actively sick may vary so the decision on when to release someone from isolation is taken on a case-by-case basis in consultation with doctors, infection prevention and control specialists, and public health officials and includes evaluating details of each condition including seriousness of disease, signs of illness and symptoms and laboratory testing results for that client.

Can someone who has been quarantined for COVID-19 spread the illness to others?

Current CDC protocol for removing anyone from isolation is handled on a case-by-case basis and requires meeting all the following requirements: the patient is free of fever without taking fever-reducing medicines.

The patient has no symptoms, like cough, any more.

The patient tested negative on at least two consecutive specimens of respiratory tract collected at least 24 hours apart.

Anyone released from isolation will not be deemed to pose a risk of infection to others.

Can the virus that causes COVID-19 be spread through food, including refrigerated or frozen food?

Coronaviruses are generally thought to spread via respiratory droplets from person to person. There is currently no evidence to support the transmission of food based COVID-19. It is necessary to always wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds for general food protection before cooking or consuming food. Since blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, or going to the toilet wash your hands all day.

A person may be able to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose, or probably eyes, but this is not thought to be the primary way the virus spreads.

Will warm weather stop the outbreak of COVID-19?

Whether weather and temperature impact COVID-19 spread is not yet established. Some other viruses, such as common cold and flu, spread more during cold weather months but that doesn't mean that these viruses can't get sick during other months. It is not known at this time whether the spread of COVID-19 would decrease as the weather gets warmer. There's much more to know about the transmissibility, frequency, and other features associated with COVID-19 and the ongoing investigations.

What is community spread?

Community spread means people have been infected with the virus in an area, including some who are not sure how or where they became infected.

How to Protect Yourself

Am I at risk for COVID-19 in the United States?

Situation In the United States:

Imported cases of COVID-19 were identified in travelers in the US.

The spread of COVID-19 between person-to-person was first recorded among close contacts of returned Wuhan travelers.

CDC recorded community spread of the virus which causes COVID-19 in California (in two places), Oregon and Washington during the week of February 23. Community spread in Washington counted for the first death in the United States from COVID-19, as well as the first reported case of COVID-19 and the first potential outbreak in a long-term care facility.

Has anyone in the United States gotten infected?

Yes. In the U.S., there has been cases of COVID-19 related to travel and spread from person to person. The reports of U.S. cases are continuously updated Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

COVID-19: U.S. at a Glance*

Total cases: 99

Total deaths: 10

States reporting cases: 13

How can I help protect myself?

The 2019 coronavirus disease control vaccine (COVID-19) is currently not available here. The best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure to that virus. As a reminder, however, CDC also recommends routine protective measures to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases including: avoid close contact with sick people.

Do not touch your eyes, your nose and your mouth.

Stay home, if you're sick.

Cover with a tissue over your cough or sneeze, then throw the tissue in the garbage.

The often touched items and surfaces are washed and disinfected using a regular household spray or scrub.

Follow advice from CDC to use a facemask.

What should I do if I had close contact with someone who has COVID-19?

Your health care provider and public health personnel will evaluate your capacity to care at home. If it's decided that you don't need to be treated and can be protected at home, staff from your local or state health department can track you. Until a health care provider or local or state health department confirms you should return to your normal activities, you will follow the preventive measures below.

Stay home except to receive medical care. You should limit activities outside your house, except for medical treatment. Do not go to work, to school or to public spaces. Evite the use of public transport, ride-sharing or taxis.

People: You should stay in a specific room as much as possible, and in your home away from other people. When available you should also use a separate bathroom.

Does CDC recommend the use of facemask to prevent COVID-19?

CDC does not recommend that people who are well using a facemask, including COVID-19, protect themselves from respiratory illness. You should only wear a mask if approved by a health-care professional. People who have COVID-19 and show signs should use a facemask. This is for shielding others from the risk of infection. The use of facemasks is also important for health workers and other people who take care in near settings of someone diagnosed with COVID-19 (at home or in a healthcare facility).

Am I at risk for COVID-19 from a package or products shipping from China?

A lot is also unknown about the newly identified COVID-19, and how it spreads. Previously two other coronaviruses (MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV) have emerged to cause severe disease in humans. The virus that causes COVID-19 is more closely associated with SARS-CoV than with MERS-CoV, but both are beta coronaviruses with bat origins. While we don't know for sure that this virus would behave the same way as SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, the experience obtained from both of these earlier coronaviruses can be used to direct us. In general, due to the poor survival of these coronaviruses on surfaces, the risk of spread from shipped goods or packaging is likely very small.By general, coronaviruses are thought to be most commonly spread by respiratory droplets. There is currently no evidence to support the transmission of COVID-19 related to imported goods and no cases of COVID-19 related to imported goods have been reported in the United States. Information will be made available as it becomes available on the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) website Coronaviruses is a big infectious family. Some cause disease in humans, and others only affect animals, such as canine and feline coronaviruses. Animal coronaviruses infecting animals have rarely emerged to infect people, and can spread among people. This is suspected for the virus which causes COVID-19. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Symptoms & Testing:

What are the symptoms and severities that COVID-19 can cause?

Current symptoms reported for COVID-19 patients have included mild to severe respiratory illness with fever1, cough, and difficulty breathing.

How do you test a person for COVID-19?

If you feel ill with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing and have been in close contact with a person known to have COVID-19, or if you live in or have recently traveled from an area with ongoing COVID-19 spread, call your healthcare professional

Your health care professional will consult with the Department of Public Health and CDC in your state to decide if you need to have COVID-19 screened.

Can a person test negative and later test positive for COVID-19?

Using the diagnostic test developed by CDC a negative result indicates that the virus triggering COVID-19 was not found in the sample for the person. It is likely that the virus would not be detected in the early stages of infection.

With COVID-19, a negative test result for a sample obtained while a person is likely to have symptoms indicates the COVID-19 virus does not cause their current illness.

Healthcare Professionals and Health Departments

What should healthcare professionals and health departments do?

As the availability of COVID-19 diagnostic testing expands, clinicians will be able to access laboratory tests for COVID-19 evaluation by clinical laboratories performing FDA-approved tests under an Emergency Use Approval (EUA). Clinicians in their jurisdictions will also be able to access laboratory testing through public health laboratories.

This extends the research to a larger community of patients with symptoms. Clinicians should use their discretion to assess if a patient has COVID-19 compatible signs and symptoms, and whether the patient should be tested. Decisions on which patients are checked should be based on the local COVID-19 epidemiology and also on the clinic Have fever1 and/or acute lung disease symptoms (e.g., cough, difficulty breathing) developed. Clinicians are strongly encouraged to monitor for other causes of respiratory disease including influenza-like infections.

Epidemiological considerations that may help guide decisions on whether to test include: any people, including

1.healthcare workers

2, who have had near contact

3 with a laboratory-confirmed

4 COVID-19 patients within 14 days of the onset of symptoms, or travel history from affected geographical areas5 (see below) within 14 days of the onset of symptoms.

What CDC is Doing:

What is the CDC( The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US agency charged with tracking and investigating public health trends.) doing about COVID-19?

This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will continue to provide updated information. CDC works 24/7 to protect people’s health.

COVID-19 and Animals

What about animals or animal products imported from China?CDC has little evidence to suggest that animals or animal products imported from China pose a risk to COVID-19 spreading in the United states of america. This is a rapidly evolving situation and will update information as it becomes available. The US Disease Control and Prevention Centers (CDC), U.S. S. Agriculture department (USDA), and the U.S. The Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) performs distinct but complementary roles in controlling the imports into the United States of live animals and animal products. CDC regulates animals and animal products which pose a threat to human health, USDA regulates external icon animals and animal products which pose a threat to farming.

Should I be concerned about pets or other animals and COVID-19?

While this virus seems to have emerged from an animal source, it is now spreading in China from person to person. There's no reason to think that this current coronavirus could be a source of infection for any animals or pets in the USA. Several records of pets or other animals being ill with COVID-19 have been provided by CDC until now. There is no indication at this time that there may be COVID-19 spread through companion animals or cats. Since animals can transmit certain diseases to humans, though, washing your hands after being around animals is always a good idea. For more information on the many benefits of owning pets, and to remain safe and healthy with animals including children,

Should I avoid contact with pets or other animals if I am sick with COVID-19?

When you're sick with COVID-19 you should avoid contact with pets and other animals just as you'd be around most people While there have been no reports of pets or other animals being infected with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people suffering from COVID-19 avoid contact with animals until more knowledge about the virus becomes available. Have another member of your household caring for your animals wherever possible while you are sick. When you suffer from COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet like petting, snuggling, kissing or licking, and sharing food. If you have to look after your cat or have animals while you're sick, wash your hands beforehand.

What precautions should be taken for animals that have recently been imported (for example, by shelters, rescue groups, or as personal pets) from China?