We are in the middle of a pandemic which none of us was expecting when we welcomed this new year. The right thing to do now is to stop panicking and being well informed of the current situation.
What is Pandemic?
Pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that is affecting the whole world.
How serious is this?
The following series of charts can give you a better idea
What is the latest update?
The global tally of cases: 219,033
Number of deaths, worldwide: 8,953
What is happening in Canada?
So far, Canada is taking better actions for the control of COVID-19. Almost 34,000 people have been swabbed for testing compared to 23,000 tests in the US which have a 10x population than Canada.
Speaking to reporters from Rideau Cottage in Ottawa, Prime Minister Trudeau said Canada is taking “increasingly aggressive steps” and will be closing its borders to people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada.
“I know that these measures are far-reaching,” Trudeau said. “They are exceptional circumstances calling for exceptional measures.”
Any vaccination for this?
Health experts around the world are working day and night to find a vaccination for COVID-19. The initial vaccine of the clinical trial is being tested on a set of volunteers. The National Institutes of Health is funding the trial, which is taking place at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle. Public health officials say it will take a year to 18 months to fully validate any potential vaccine.
What is the need of the hour?
What every country out there is aiming now is to flatten the curve through social distancing.
The condition in Italy became worse because no one was taking the symptoms seriously. People thought it was just the flu and carried on with their everyday work. This resulted in community spreading and the positive cases multiplied in just a few days.
This is why Italy is in total lockdown and so are many other countries. The fatality rate was earlier calculated as 0.4% which is now escalated to 4%. This not only because of the disease but also because of the inability to give sufficient medical care. More the number of patients, the more the requirement for ventilators and ICU. With the already existing patients of other ailments added to it, hospitals in the affected countries are overwhelmed. They ended up deciding who is getting the oxygen and who is not.
The trickier part is the asymptomatic carriers. A few people with positive covid-19 might not be showing any symptoms at all. If they step outside, they are going to pass on the virus to many others who they come in contact with. The effect of covid-19 is different for different people. You might have a good immune power that the effect of the virus is minimal on you but you can pass it on to an elderly or someone with a health condition who might get the worse out of the covid-19. Self-isolation will prevent the spread of the virus, fewer people will be going to hospitals which in turn will help the doctors to work effectively.
So all you have to do is,
- Stay at home
- Wash your hands
- Do not touch your face
How to not panic
The symptoms seem to be very generic such as the flu and common cold which are very common so how to differentiate? The chart below clearly lists the symptoms of covid-19,
If you are feeling sick, the first thing to do is isolate yourself and do not have any kind of physical contact with others. If the condition is getting worse, call a helpline and they will guide you on what to do next. You will be quarantined either at your house or at the hospital depending on your condition.
Do not stock up on necessities such as hand sanitizers, face masks and groceries. This will just make the situation worse and people who are in actual need of it will not get it. Buy only what is necessary for you.
What to do when you are social distancing
Miss hanging out with your friends? Host a Netflix watch party using this google chrome extension. The best part? You can chat along with your friends while watching your favorite movie/series.
You can also play many popular board games, online with your friends. Check out the list here.
Are kids getting bored at home? CNN has a list of educational videos, documentaries, and movies that can be watched by your kids.
Stay safe and let’s all make it a priority to stop the spread of COVID-19.
