We're all tired of hearing about Covid, and yet we all have questions. I could write a post about my experiences with Covid as a healthcare worker, but I think what would be more helpful is sharing some data about what we know (Or think we know. Or are just currently going with.). But seriously, we're all learning as this comes and so if you feel frustrated by changing data... everyone does. No one is trying to switch things up on you just for the heck of it, this isn't a universal hoodwink (you are not being personally victimized by Regina George). All of my information is from credible sources and citations will be provided for the naysayers to scour.
Incubation
You can be exposed to Covid and not test positive for up to 14 days after your exposure, according to the CDC. The average time it takes for symptoms to present themselves is 4-5 days. Let me make that applicable- the reason many areas request a quarantine of 14 days before and/or after visiting is directly correlated to the fact that you could be exposed to Covid and have zero symptoms and test negative for that entire time and unknowingly spread your germs. Sharing is not always caring, folks.
Spread
Covid is caused by a virus. Viruses are smaller than we can see, and believe it or not we used to be unaware of their existence (some people still are). Viruses were discovered in 1892 and are still largely mysterious in nature. If a touch of Covid infused excretion graces your mucous membranes, you become a new host for viral replication. This includes your nostrils, eyes, and mouth- those things you're supposed to cover and keep 6 ft away. 6ft is the distance chosen as large droplets likely don't travel farther, but smaller droplets can travel up to 23ft from a sneeze and so I would recommend 6ft as the minimum. Droplets are also potentially able to linger on air particles for up to 3 hours, so a 6ft distance gives them some opportunity to sink lower than your susceptible orifices. Isn't that a great mental image?Now on to masks- 2020's biggest fashion statement. You don't want to feel your breath through the mask. The tighter the thread in the material the better- studies suggest cotton 600+ thread count masks work more efficiently, though masks with 2-3 layers are also effective. Avoid masks with valves- you are blowing your unfiltered air onto others with your contraption and no one wants your germs, Darth Vader. The last protective item recommended by the CDC is the face shield or goggle alternative to protect your eyes. Hospitals require medical professionals to wear these with every patient interaction, airport staff wears them... all the cool kids are wearing them. These not only provide an extra layer of coverage for your (possible contaminated) mouth, but they also protect your eyes from possible excretion exposure. And lastly- one of my favorite topics. Hand hygiene! 20 seconds, folks- that's the minimum hand washing time to kill any germs partying. Feel free to see my blog post about hand hygiene if you're unsure of how to properly rub a dub dub. I'll save you the SOAPbox this time (pun intended).
Symptoms
If my words haven't saturated your mind with sarcasm yet here's a splash- Covid symptoms are vague. There could be absolutely none, or you could be in a hospital room for months feeling like death would be the better option. And sadly you won't know which place your body will take you, should you test positive. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to prevent the spread by social distancing, wearing a mask, and washing your hands (hint, I've repeated this to emphasize its importance). You could have no symptoms at all and be sloughing viral vermin like Typhoid Mary (ew). The symptoms highlighted by the CDC include:
Fever or chills
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Fatigue
Muscle or body aches
Headache
New loss of taste or smell
Sore throat
Congestion or runny nose
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Does that sound like the flu? A cold? Sinus infection? Yeah, it does. And lucky for us we're in the heart of flu season, rounding the corner to the peak of hospital inventory on a normal year. Except this year we're at capacity during the typically lower census months. So according to that math... We need people to stay healthy. Please and thank you.
Mortality + Prevalence
I've heard people argue that so many people have died from Covid because they "had comorbidities and were going to die anyway". These people may be uneducated on the topic of comorbidities, so let's dive into that. A comorbidity is the presence of more than one medical diagnosis within one individual. It could be any other diagnosis, and therefore pretty much everyone has some sort of comorbidity (depression, arthritis, IBS... It does not have to be terminal). Here's a lovely table of Covid deaths from this week (up to 12/2) broken down by comorbidities and age.
From these tables you can see that quite a few young people have lost their lives to Covid. You can also see that several of the comorbidities are things that people can live a normal lifespan with, such as obesity or pneumonia. Just because a person has comorbidities does not mean that they would have died this year if they did not get Covid.
This is not the flu. Let me explain: in 2018-2019 35 million people were diagnosed with the flu, and 34,157 people died as a result. In that same year, with Covid not even being around for its entirety, there were 5 million Covid cases and over 180,000 deaths as a result. Covid is much more lethal than the flu. People will argue that the cause of death may not have been fairly labeled, which may be a fair argument for some cases with any disease if there are multiple factors contributing to the death of an individual.
The United States has by far the highest number of Covid cases, with 14,147,241 positive cases compared to the next highest (India) with 9,571,559. We also happen to be on top with 276,383 deaths compared to the next highest (Brazil) with 175,270 deaths. 1,507,323 deaths worldwide so far. While these numbers are high Covid is still not even close to the leading cause of death, which is heart disease. There are approximately 17.9 million global deaths annually, 655,000 within the US from heart disease. It may be hard to understand how to apply these numbers to your own life, and here is my advice: Covid is lethal and can take the life of even healthy young individuals, so follow the safety guidelines and be cautious. There are nurses that have been working with Covid patients for this entire year that have not caught it themselves because of strict precautions that actually work. Promote your own health, protect those around you, be considerate, and pray.
Treatment
Coronavirus is a virus that is not new to 2019. SARS-CoV-2 is the specific viral strain that has caused this pandemic- a substrain of the coronavirus. Viruses adapt frequently, hence the need for an annual flu shot, or the reason many viral infections have no reliable treatment (herpes, HIV, flu, shingles, chickenpox, etc.). We have antiviral medications that may be used to shorten the lifespan of a virus or decrease its virulence but, in actuality, your body is fighting that virus full time until it has run its course. The FDA approved the use of the antiviral medication Remdesivir in October. They have also approved the emergency use of two types on monoclonal antibody treatments: Bamlanivimab and the combination of Casirivimab and Imdevimab. These medications are synthetic antibodies designed to weaken the virus enough that it cannot enter human cells. Another experimental treatment is convalescent plasma, which is the transfer of plasma from a person who has recovered from Covid to a person currently needing treatment. This method has been used for years in an effort to share antibodies, though outcomes are not consistently beneficial. Vaccines are also designed to give the antibodies necessary to fight certain diseases, or invoke a very mild version of the disease so the body can create its own antibodies. Vaccines are the primary way we can prevent diseases, and that is why so many are working tirelessly to create a Covid vaccine. Our bodies are amazingly designed to protect us, and when they're healthy they do a pretty stinking good job- seat your veggies, drink your water, and do the exercise. The better your health is the stronger your immune system will be so you are in the best condition possible to fight any disease that may come along.
Hang in there. This will end.
References
Armitage, M. (2020, August 27). Flu vs. Coronavirus (COVID-19): Mortality rates and deaths per year. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://www.goodrx.com/blog/flu-vs-coronavirus-mortality-and-death-rates-by-year/
Bourouiba, L. (2020). Turbulent gas clouds and respiratory pathogen emissions: Potential implications for reducing transmission of COVID-19. JAMA, 323(18), 1837–1838. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.4756
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, July 09). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): How is it transmitted? Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-how-is-it-transmitted
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, September 08). Heart Disease Facts. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, November 03). Management of patients with confirmed 2019-nCoV. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/clinical-guidance-management-patients.html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, December 02). COVID-19 provisional counts - Weekly updates by select demographic and geographic characteristics. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/covid_weekly/index.htm
Harvard Health Publishing. (2020, November 23). Treatments for COVID-19. Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19
Johns Hopkins University. (2020, December 4). COVID-19 dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). Retrieved December 04, 2020, from https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html
Schive, K. (2020, August 06). Covid-19 Updates. Retrieved December 05, 2020, from https://medical.mit.edu/covid-19-updates/2020/08/how-do-i-choose-cloth-face-mask