Here is a look at all that you need to know about the novel coronavirus —

What is coronavirus?

What is Covid-19?

What are the symptoms?

Differences between flu and Covid-19

What should you do if you still want to get checked for Covid-19?

How is one tested for Covid-19?

How can you protect yourself from coronavirus?

Should I wear a mask?

What is the treatment for coronavirus?

How likely am I to catch COVID-19?

Should I worry about COVID-19?

Are antibiotics effective in preventing or treating the COVID-19?

Are there any medicines or therapies that can prevent or cure COVID-19?

Is there a vaccine, drug or treatment for COVID-19?

Is there anything I should not do?

Once you test positive for COVID-19 and get cured, can you get infected again?

Can higher immunity prevent you from getting coronavirus?

(Source: World Health Organisation, NYT)

NEW DELHI: The novel coronavirus has so far claimed over 5,000 lives and affected over 140,000 people. Though there is no cure for the virus, it's relatively less deadly with a mortality rate of less than 3 per cent.Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.Covid-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus. This new virus and disease were unknown before the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.The following symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure.Fever, cough, shortness of breath and tiredness. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhoea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.The first symptoms, fever and cough, are similar to that of the flu, so the diseases can be hard to tell apart without a test to identify the virus. Pneumonia is common among coronavirus patients, even among those whose cases are not severe.So far, the new coronavirus seems to be more contagious than most strains of the flu, and roughly as contagious as strains that appear in pandemic flu seasons.Each person with the coronavirus appears to infect 2.2 other people, on average. By comparison, the figure for the seasonal flu is roughly 1.3. The reproduction number for the flu of 1918 was about the same as that of the new coronavirus, perhaps higher, but that was before modern treatments and vaccines were available.In both flu and the illness caused by the coronavirus, people may be contagious before symptoms develop, making it difficult or even impossible to control the spread of the virus. Nobody knows how many people infected with the coronavirus have only very mild symptoms or none at all.➤Call Union health ministry’s 24X7 helpline number 01123978046. You can also mail your queries at ncov2019@gmail.com➤The district surveillance ofﬁcer will visit you shortly and, if chances of infection are high, you may be transported to a designated hospital for the test➤Govt has placed separate ambulances for transporting suspected cases. Use of public transport isn’t advised➤ The test for coronavirus does not involve any blood examination.➤ coronavirus test includes examining of the throat swab or the nasal swab to check for infection.➤After taking samples, doctors posted at nodal hospitals may assess your physical health to decide whether hospitalisation is needed. Otherwise, you may be asked to stay isolated at home itself➤If the tests are positive, you may require to remain quarantined for at least 14 days, till recovery.The most effective ways to protect yourself and others against COVID-19 are to frequently clean your hands, cover your cough with the bend of elbow or tissue and maintain a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who are coughing or sneezing.Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.Stay home if you are sick, except to get medical care.Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily.According to WHO, only wear a mask if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 or looking after a patient of COVID-19. A disposable face mask can only be used once. If you are not ill or looking after someone who is ill then you are wasting a mask. Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing. Masks are effective only when used in combination with frequent hand-cleaning with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water. If you wear a mask, then you must know how to use it and dispose of it properly.There is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus. Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses. Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness. You'll need to stay in isolation, away from other people, until you have recovered.The risk depends on where you are - and more specifically, whether there is a COVID-19 outbreak unfolding there.For most people in most locations, the risk of catching COVID-19 is still low. However, there are now places around the world (cities or areas) where the disease is spreading. For people living in, or visiting, these areas the risk of catching COVID-19 is higher. Governments and health authorities are taking vigorous action every time a new case of COVID-19 is identified. Be sure to comply with any local restrictions on travel, movement or large gatherings. Cooperating with disease control efforts will reduce your risk of catching or spreading COVID-19.Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care. It is therefore quite normal for people to worry about how the COVID-19 outbreak will affect them and their loved ones.We can channel our concerns into actions to protect ourselves, our loved ones and our communities. First and foremost among these actions is regular and thorough hand-washing and good respiratory hygiene. Secondly, keep informed and follow the advice of the local health authorities including any restrictions put in place on travel, movement and gatherings.No. Antibiotics do not work against viruses, they only work on bacterial infections. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, so antibiotics do not work. Antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment of COVID-19. They should only be used as directed by a physician to treat a bacterial infection.While some western, traditional or home remedies may provide comfort and alleviate symptoms of COVID-19, there is no evidence that current medicine can prevent or cure the disease. WHO does not recommend self-medication with any medicines, including antibiotics, as a prevention or cure for COVID-19. However, there are several ongoing clinical trials that include both western and traditional medicines. WHO will continue to provide updated information as soon as clinical findings are available.Not yet. To date, there is no vaccine and no specific antiviral medicine to prevent or treat COVID-2019. However, those affected should receive care to relieve symptoms. People with serious illness should be hospitalized. Most patients recover thanks to supportive care.Possible vaccines and some specific drug treatments are under investigation. They are being tested through clinical trials. WHO is coordinating efforts to develop vaccines and medicines to prevent and treat COVID-19.According to many experts, a vaccine to stop the spread is still at least a year away.The following measures ARE NOT effective against COVID-2019 and can be harmful:Wearing multiple masksTaking antibioticsIn any case, if you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing seek medical care early to reduce the risk of developing a more severe infection and be sure to share your recent travel history with your health care provider.It's not known. A few reports from China say some people had COVID-19, recovered and then fell ill again. It's unclear if that's a relapse, a new infection, or a case where the person never fully recovered in the first place. Scientists at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle say the 30,000-letter genetic code of the virus changes by one letter every 15 days. It's not known how many of these changes would be needed for the virus to seem different enough to the immune system of someone who had a previous version of it for it to cause a fresh infection.The WHO and the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have said that the two major groups of people who are more likely to be affected by the disease are the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. People who have aged and have weak immune systems have a harder time fighting off the COVID-19 infection.People who already have an underlying health condition like heart disease, diabetes or lung disease are more prone to the infection causing severe symptoms. People with these underlying problems have a taxed immune system and cannot fight off the infection. However, you need to take the necessary precautions even if you are young and healthy.