Common Chinese Coronavirus Questions and Answers

As the Chinese coronavirus pandemic spreads worldwide, millions of people want to know more about COVID-19, writes USA Today.

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Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions.

If a person has been diagnosed with influenza but has not been tested for Chinese coronavirus, can he have both of these viruses?

Yes, a person can be infected with both of these viruses. This was the case for one patient in China, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A 69-year-old man in Wuhan was diagnosed with the 2019-nCoV virus and influenza virus. But first the man was diagnosed with influenza, and then with coronavirus.

Doctors who examined the patient's condition explained: this case “suggests that COVID-19 disease may not be detected due to false negative tests of the upper respiratory tract for the presence of the virus or due to joint infection with other respiratory viruses. More extensive viral testing may be required. ”

Peter Hothes, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, agrees.

“I don’t like that these people test for the flu and then say it’s not coronavirus,” Hotez said. “With the flu, it is usually possible to become infected with other viruses.”

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How is the Chinese coronavirus tested? Does it look like a nasal swab for flu?

To collect a sample for a diagnostic test for 2019-nCoV (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease), doctors usually use the same collection method as for the flu: a nasopharyngeal swab. To do this, use a tiny swab on a plastic stick or wire rod and insert it 3 or 4 inches (7-10 centimeters) into the nostril.

Your doctor may also take a swab from your throat. In some cases, if you have a “wet” cough, you may be required to cough mucus into a collection cup. Then these samples are packaged with ice and sent to a laboratory for testing.

To determine if someone has recovered from a coronavirus infection, at least two different nasal swabs taken at intervals of at least 24 hours are needed, both of which must show a negative result.

There is an opinion that “older people” most often die from coronavirus. Are those over 60 considered elderly and should they be concerned?

According to the World Health Organization, as is the case with seasonal flu, the list of people with the highest risk of getting sick or dying from COVID-19 includes people over 60 and those who have serious illnesses.

“After age 60, the risk of disease increases, and this risk increases with age. People over 80 are at the highest risk of serious illness and death,” said Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiration.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States recommends that people over 60 stay away from those who are sick, limit close contact, often wash their hands, avoid crowds, refuse cruises and do not flew airplanes without emergency.

What is the probability of dying from the 2019-nCoV virus?

Of the more than 136 people infected worldwide, more than 000 have died (the mortality rate is about 5000%, while WHO previously estimated this level to be about 3,7%).

However, the mortality rate varies greatly depending on age, health status and geographical location. A February WHO study of more than 55 cases in China showed that the highest mortality rates were among people over 000 years of age (80%).

Can I get sick again?

“Those infected usually develop antibodies to the virus. However, for some people this protection does not last long. Many cured patients are likely to relapse,” said Li Qin Guan, director of pneumonia prevention and treatment at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing.

However, Eng Un Eng, a professor of new infectious diseases at the Duke-NUS Singapore Medical School, said: to finally determine whether virus protection will remain in the body for a very short period of time, for many years, or maybe even all my life, data is not enough.

Can infected people transmit the virus to their pets and vice versa?

No, according to the WHO, there is no evidence that domestic animals, such as cats and dogs, were infected or could spread the virus that caused COVID-19.

Last month, the domestic dog of a coronavirus patient in Hong Kong showed a “weak” positive result for infection with Chinese coronavirus and was quarantined. Scientists came to the conclusion that domestic cats and dogs can give a positive result at the initial level of infection if they catch the virus from their owners, but pets cannot get COVID-19.

What are the statistics of coronavirus compared to seasonal flu?

According to the CDC, in the United States since 2010, every year the flu causes 12 to 000 deaths. At least 61 million flu cases, 000 hospital admissions, and 36 flu-related deaths have been reported in the United States this season.

Is it safe to swim in the indoor public pool? Can anyone get infected there?

Chlorinated pool water kills viruses, but you can still get infected with Chinese coronavirus in the pool in other ways. For example, if you touch the surface on which the virus is located, or if an infected person coughs or sneezes, and drops from his respiratory tract enter your mouth or nose.

How long does the virus live on objects, such as banknotes?

According to WHO, depending on the type of surface, the virus may remain on the surface for several hours or several days. A recent study by scientists in the United States showed that the virus can be viable in the air for up to three hours, and up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.

According to the CDC, you can become infected if you touch your face after touching a surface or object that has the virus on it. But scientists don't think any surface is the main way the virus spreads. The CDC says the most common form of infection is respiratory droplets spread when a person coughs or sneezes.

Meanwhile, WHO states: it is unlikely that the virus is able to survive on the surface after movement and exposure to various conditions and temperatures. This means that the virus cannot spread through products made in China or any other country reporting cases of the spread of coronavirus.

At the same time, WHO is urging people to use electronic payments as much as possible. In some cases, viruses can survive on solid surfaces, such as coins, for several days. In US dollars, it is more difficult for viruses to hold onto a fabric / paper mixture.

What is used to treat COVID-19?

According to the CDC, there is no vaccine for the new virus and there are no special antiviral drugs to prevent or treat COVID-19, so the treatment consists of maintenance therapy to help alleviate the symptoms. In severe cases, they provide special drugs to support the vital functions of organs.

According to WHO, about 80% of people recover from this disease without special treatment. For most patients, this means drinking plenty of fluids and resting, as if you had a cold or the flu.

How many children have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and how many of them died?

According to China's CDC, only about 2% of COVID-19 cases were people under the age of 19. According to a February WHO study in China, a very small proportion of people under the age of 19 became ill with a severe (2,5%) or critical form of the disease (0,2%).

It is not immediately clear how many children in the United States were infected with this virus, but reported cases in Washington state seem to reflect a trend in China: only 2% of 366 cases in the state are people 19 years or younger.

None of the children in the United States died.

What is the danger to pregnant women?

It is unclear how coronavirus can affect pregnant women. In general, according to the CDC, pregnant women experience changes in the body that can make them more susceptible to viral respiratory infections.

According to the CDC, pregnant women are at greater risk of serious illness, and some have a miscarriage and stillbirth.

There is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from an infected mother to her fetus, and in a limited number of recent cases of giving birth to mothers with COVID-19, none of the children showed a positive result for infection with this virus, the CDC said.

Is fever always the first symptom of a coronavirus infection? Does it make sense to measure the temperature every day?

According to the CDC, the symptoms of COVID-19 are flu-like and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Some people also experience muscle pain and nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat, or diarrhea.

While fever is one of the most common symptoms, measuring your temperature every day is unproductive. It’s the same as measuring blood pressure four times a day for no good reason.

How can I find out if I became infected with Chinese coronavirus and do I need to be screened?

You should call your doctor if you develop symptoms or have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Or if you recently returned from an area with a lot of cases.

Does a positive virus test result mean that symptoms will appear soon?

A positive test result means that you have a coronavirus infection, but that does not mean that you will have symptoms. Some people with the virus have no symptoms at all.

At the same time, a negative test result does not necessarily mean that you do not have a virus infection.

Can someone spread the virus without symptoms?

Yes, according to the CDC, spread may be possible until a person has symptoms. However, people are most contagious when symptoms are most apparent.

Since the 1960s, Hong Kong has had Hong Kong flu, swine flu, H1N1, SARS, MERS, Ebola, Zika and other threats to the whole world. What is the difference between coronavirus 2019-nCoV?

According to the head of WHO, the current outbreak is the first pandemic in the world caused by a virus from the coronavirus family. The new virus has infected more than 136 people in more than 000 countries, and more than 100 people have died after infection.

By comparison, the 1968 Hong Kong flu pandemic was caused by the influenza A virus and killed an estimated 1 million people worldwide, with about 100 deaths in the United States, according to the CDC. The 000 swine flu pandemic was caused by the H2009N1 subtype of influenza A virus and resulted in at least 1 deaths worldwide during the virus's first year. More than 151 deaths have occurred in the United States, according to the CDC.

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How old was the youngest person killed by Chinese coronavirus?

A study of more than 72 cases in mainland China showed that at least one person between the ages of 000 and 10 died, but no one under ten died.

According to a subsequent WHO study, in China, at least one two-day-old baby was infected with this virus.

By comparison, according to the CDC, 144 children in the United States died of flu this season.

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