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Coronavirus symptoms, causes, prevention and cure

By Jacob Wolinsky. Originally published at ValueWalk.

Coronavirus COVID-19

The best case situation for Coronavirus or COVID-19 is that in a few weeks it dies down and things get back to normal. However, we must entertain the possibility of a far more frightening scenario.

240,000 Americans could die from coronavirus

April 1, 2020 Update: News reports put the number of coronavirus infections in the U.S. at more than 200,000 and the number of deaths at more than 8,700. NBC News reports today one of the top doctors in the U.S. warned that 240,000 people in the U.S. could die from the virus, even with strict social distancing guidelines enacted.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said they may need refrigerated trucks as the number of dead in the state continues to soar. In the last 24 hours, 91 people have died from the coronavirus. In New York, the tent hospital in Central Park admitted its first COVID-19 patient.

The federal government is now considering a massive infrastructure bill to create more jobs. There are fears that the economic downturn from COVID-19 could be much worse than originally expected, possibly lasting into next year and beyond.

Six feet may not be enough to prevent coronavirus spread

March 31, 2020 Update: So far more than 164,000 people in the U.S. have tested positive for the coronavirus, and more than 3,000 people have died from it. Worldwide, more than 800,000 people have been infected with COVID-19, and more than 40,000 people have died from it.

Most social distancing guidelines call for a space of at least six feet between people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. However, a recently published study suggests that the guideline is based on models from the 1930s. MIT Associate Professor Lydia Bourouiba has been researching coughing and sneezing for years. She warns that pathogens could travel as far as 23 to 27 feet.

Meanwhile, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease expert in the U.S. predicts another coronavirus outbreak in the fall. However, he said the nation will be much better prepared to fight it then.

Additionally, CNN news anchor Chris Cuomo, brother of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has tested positive for the coronavirus. He said he has fevers, chills and shortness of breath, but he is otherwise feeling well and will anchor his show from the basement of his home.

More stay-at-home orders

March 30, 2020 Update: About three-quarters of Americans are or will soon be under a stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus, according to news reports. Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers are already starting to work on the next round of measures to deal with fallout from COVID-19. It’s only been a few days since Congress enacted the $2 trillion stabilization package that includes sending stimulus checks to Americans.

On Sunday, President Trump extended the social distancing window to the end of April, backing away from his previous statements about wanting the economy to start back up by Easter. Public health authorities said ending the social distancing guidelines too early could result in many more deaths. Trump said his advisors expect the coronavirus infections to peak around Easter and start falling from there.

New York continues to struggle under COVID-19 infections as the 1,000-bed Navy hospital ship known as the Comfort docked in Manhattan to help with the fight. The city also built a makeshift field hospital using tents in Central Park.

No peak in coronavirus cases yet

March 26, 2020 Update: The death toll from the coronavirus in the U.S. has now surpassed 1,000 with over 74,000 people infected. The nation’s healthcare system is under increasing pressure as medical personnel go to desperate measures to deal with the pandemic. Wednesday brought the largest number of deaths from the virus in a single day so far at 223.

According to CNN, the number of coronavirus cases in California doubles every three or four days. Hospitals in Louisiana will likely run out of beds within the next two weeks, and workers there are fashioning masks out of office supplies. Bellevue Hospital Center in New York has seen so many patients die from COVID-19 that officials have set up a makeshift morgue using refrigerated trucks and tents. In Queens at Elmhurst Hospital Center, 13 people died of COVID-19 in only 24 hours.

Health officials are warning that the U.S. hasn’t seen the peak of the coronavirus pandemic yet.

Senators exposed to coronavirus

March 23, 2020 Update: Senators are negotiating a third aid package to help U.S. consumers, businesses and the economy weather the coronavirus storm. However, those negotiations sustained a setback when Sen. Rand Paul tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. At least four other senators quarantined themselves due to possible exposure to the virus.

The World Health Organization said today that the coronavirus pandemic is now accelerating. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it took 67 days for COVID-19 to reach 100,000 patients, 11 days for the second 100,000 cases, and only four days for the third 100,000 cases. Almost 350,000 people worldwide have contracted the coronavirus, and more than 15,000 people have died from it, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.S., over 33,000 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, putting the nation in third place behind China and Italy for having the largest number of cases. At least 475 people have died from the virus in the U.S. Washington and New York are the two hardest-hit states, and President Trump approved their requests for a disaster declaration. California’s request is pending.

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams told NBC that “this week, it’s going to get bad.” He said some Americans haven’t been practicing social distancing and urged people to stay at home.

Number of coronavirus cases still soaring amid new restrictions

March 20, 2020 Update: The numbers out of Italy are especially shocking today. The European country reported that 627 more coronavirus patients have died in the last 24 hours. That’s a significant increase from the 427 people who died from the COVID-19 virus the day before. The death toll in Italy is now 3,405, which is the highest rate in the world. Morgues in Italy are running out of space.

Restrictions in other parts of the world continue to ramp up. The border between the U.S. and Mexico is now closed to non-essential travel. New York is also ordering non-essential workers to stay home. Additionally, California has instituted a statewide lockdown.

The heightened measures come after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. doubled in only two days. However, some of that increase is due to increased testing.

The tax filing deadline in the U.S. has been delayed from April 15 to July 15. All taxpayers and businesses have extra time to file and make payments without paying penalties or interest.

Around the globe, over 250,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed. According to the World Health Organization, it took over three months for 100,000 cases to be reported worldwide, but it only took 12 days for the next 100,000 cases to be recorded.

Coronavirus wave II starting?

The most frightening possibility is that after everyone self isolates and returns to normal, the disease comes back possibly in a worse mutated form. Indeed, this is what happened with the Spanish flu of 1918-1920. The majority of deaths happened AFTER the first waves as this chart demonstrates. When would this happen with COVID-19? After the summer of 2020, or possibly even sooner. According to experts at investment firm, EXANTE the virus may already be returning with a vengeance to China.

Specifically, they state:

The second round of Wuhan Coronavirus is set to hit China, according to our sources in Hong Kong

Read more here.

Economic impact

Coronavirus is going to seriously impact the economy in the US and abroad. France is taking counter-measures such as freezing bills on water to forestall large scale default due to COVID-19 grinding the economy to a halt. The US is discussing a stimulus bill of $750 billion which could send cash directly to consumers. Some experts say the $750 billion is too little and the package should be in the trillions. It seems from the latest news reports on 3/17/2020 that the US Government will aim for the trillions range.

Coronavirus deaths

Death rates are soaring in Italy with several hundred killed yesterday. Watch France and Spain as well as cases are really starting to surge in those two European nations. The EU has also closed to its borders, several days after President Trump closed flights from Europe to the US. The economy is going to be in for a very rough patch while the world fights this virus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11 declared the COVID-19 a global pandemic. There have been more than 197,133 confirmed cases and 7,905 deaths worldwide, according to latest figures from John Hopkins. Meanwhile, health agencies are striving to help people know and recognize the causes and symptoms of the novel coronavirus as search for a cure continues. Detailed below is everything you will want to know about this virus, including causes, symptoms, prevention, and cure.

COVID-19 to kill sales?

The fear of Coronavirus is causing a “shelter-in-place” mentality for consumers.

Retailers can expect fewer shoppers in their stores and B2B commerce companies should plan on fewer site visits and in-person consultations.

According to Axios, a coronavirus-triggered recession could affect tech in a few unexpected ways such as threatening international collaboration, cross-border supply chains and global consumer demand, as well as prove a boon to e-commerce and other tech-driven trends that let lives go on with less direct human contact.

Because of this, online shopping traffic is going to hit an all-time high and brands that are going to succeed are those that can ensure relevant and efficient experiences for their consumers at scale.

Mark Floisand, SVP of Product and Industry Marketing of Coveo, an AI company personalizing digital experiences, says:

“A personalized and relevant online shopping experience is critical. During the Coronavirus pandemic, with more and more shoppers electing to avoid the risk of public spaces, they’ll head to the retailer that provides the most efficient and personalized online shopping experience. And the corollary is that those that don’t deliver on these online expectations, will lose out to those that do. Shoppers are going to put their personal health above their default store preferences.”

Sam F. Halabi, director, Center for Intellectual Property & Entrepreneurship; associate professor of law, School of Law, says:

“It is important to remember that time is a tremendous asset. Many people have decided to shrug and say “well, I’ll get it any way”. But for every case that is prevented (hand washing, staying home, etc.) it means that much more time for healthcare providers to manage the intake of severe cases, for vaccine developers to bring a candidate to the system, and for everyone to be productive and be happy before illness hits (should it even do so).”

Coronavirus causes

Coronaviruses are basically viruses that are common among animals. However, a few types of the rare viruses are known to be transmitted from animals to humans, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). SARS is believed to have originated from civet cats, while MERS from a type of camel.

UPDATE: Report estimates 4000 cases #coronavirus #2019nCoV

Our estimate at 4,000 cases is more than double the past estimate due to increase of number of cases outside China. This should not be interpreted as implying the outbreak has doubled in size.

🔰https://t.co/7A77NXZ3iw pic.twitter.com/TwEwUNamnX

— MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis (@MRC_Outbreak) January 22, 2020

COVID-19 symptoms

Such types of viruses can result in illness ranging from cold to more serious symptoms. The China coronavirus has been named “coronavirus 2019-nCoV” by the World Health Organization. There is no information yet on what animal caused the current outbreak in Wuhan, but many believe it could have been transmitted from snakes. This strain of coronavirus has not been found in humans before.

Not much is known about this coronavirus, but human-to-human transmission has been confirmed. It means that a cough, sneeze or handshake could transmit the virus. Moreover, it can be transmitted by touching something touched by an infected person and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes without washing your hands.

Coronavirus chart

Courtesy: CDC

Coronavirus symptoms

It could be fever, cough, breathing difficulties and more, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Other possible symptoms are a runny nose, sore throat and headache. In more severe cases, the virus could also result in pneumonia and kidney failure. For those with a weak immune system, especially kids and the elderly, this new virus could result in a respiratory tract illness.

Is COVID-19 deadly? This new virus is currently believed to be milder than SARS and MERS. It may take a week for the symptoms to develop. So far, only 15% to 20% of the reported cases have become severe.

However, the new coronavirus has a longer incubation period because it causes symptoms after a week or two. SARS had an incubation period of two to seven days, but the coronavirus causes symptoms after anywhere from one to 14 days.

One other thing that makes COVID-19 more dangerous than SARS is that it’s contagious during the incubation period before it causes symptoms, according to Chinese health officials. However, CDC officials are telling news outlets that they haven’t seen “any evidence of patients being” infected “before onset.”

Coronavirus: Preventive measures and cure

There is no cure for the new  COVID-19, so the best thing to do is to avoid getting it in the first place. Treatment for those who do contract the virus is focused on relieving the symptoms it causes. In severe cases, treatment also includes supporting vital organ functions, according to the CDC.

The best way to prevent contracting the illness is to avoid coming into contact with those who have been infected. Prevention methods also include washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Other precautionary measures include avoiding touching your mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands and frequently cleaning and disinfecting items and surfaces that are frequently touched.

In outbreaks of other #coronaviruses (MERS & SARS), person-to-person transmission occurred through droplets, contact and fomites, suggesting that the transmission mode of the 2019-nCoV can be similar

WHO Situation Report 27 January 2020 https://t.co/l1vODXEyD3 pic.twitter.com/vuNl64gZnm

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 27, 2020

Given that it’s a new virus, no cure is available yet. Some pharmaceutical companies are said to be working on possible vaccines for it. In some cases, the symptoms may go away on their own.

It is recommended that you take precautions early and visit your doctor. In addition, drink as much fluid as you can, take rest and sleep properly. You may also lower the chances of infection by avoiding people who are sick.

SARS, which also originated from China, claimed about 800 lives globally during its 2002-2003 outbreak. MERS, on the other hand, did not spread much but was more deadly, killing about 30% of those it infected. However, similar to SARS and MERS, the coronavirus appears to affect old people more severely.

 Canada

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau tested positive for novel coronavirus on March 12. She developed flu-like symptoms after returning from the UK. She said in a statement that even though she was “experiencing uncomfortable symptoms of the virus” she hopes to recover soon.

Justin Trudeau has kept himself in self-isolation to prevent the spread of the virus. He will spend the next few days in virtual meetings from home, phone calls, and briefings. The prime minister himself hasn’t shown any symptoms of the virus.

From the United States

According to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University, there have been at least 1,662 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States as of March 12. At least 41 people have died so far. The number of new cases jumped by as much as 400 on Thursday, March 12.

President Donald Trump has announced major travel restrictions on Europe to contain the virus. He has banned all inbound flights from Europe for a month. The US will also defer taxes and loan $50 billion to small businesses to fight coronavirus.

At least six states including New Mexico, Kentucky, Maryland, Oregon, Ohio, and Michigan have closed all public schools for at least two weeks.

From Italy

Italy is one of the worst hit countries in the world. According to the Italian health ministry, there were at least 15,113 confirmed cases as of March 12. As many as 1,258 people have fully recovered while 1,016 have lost their lives so far. An estimated 189 people died on March 12 alone.

The mortality rate in Italy is a staggering 6.7%, which is much higher than in other countries. It could be partly attributed to Italy’s high elderly population. According to EuroNews, doctors in Italy are forced to prioritize patients who have the best chances of survival.

The Italian government has locked down the entire country. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has ordered all non-essential shops and services to close. Only pharmacies and supermarkets will remain open across the country. Transportation, banking, and post offices will remain open. The country has also announced a 25 billion euro package to support families and businesses.

The post Coronavirus symptoms, causes, prevention and cure appeared first on ValueWalk.

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