What You Need to Know About COVID-19

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

COVID-19 is the official name for the coronavirus that’s affected thousands around the world. Here’s what you need to know about this contagious disease, courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What is It?

COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus that has not been previously identified. It is similar to, but not the same, as coronaviruses that more commonly circulate around humans, like the common cold. A diagnosis with coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43 or HKU1 is not the same as a diagnosis of coronavirus COVID-19.

The name, chosen by the World Health Organization, comes from CO for corona, VI for virus and D for disease. It was discovered in 2019 in and around Wuhan, Hubei, China. The name was selected following the World Heath Organization’s best practices for naming new human infectious diseases.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses in people and animals. It includes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Like those two diseases, COVID-19 originated in an animal population, in this case bats. So it can be spread two ways: animal-to-human and human-to-human.

How do you get it?

While COVID-19 did originate in bats and possibly in a live animal market in Wuhan, most of the cases now were spread from human to human. It can spread between people who are in close contact with one another, via respiratory droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze. It may also be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.

How viruses spread around populations varies. In China, COVID-19 is spreading easily and sustainably in Hubei, Wuhan’s province. But in the U.S., there have been few human-to-human cases, and only among the close contacts of infected people.

How can members of the general public protect themselves?

There’s no vaccine for COVID-19 as of press time. But you can still protect yourself from this virus and the much more common flu bug by following these steps: ■ Avoid close contact with people who are sick. ■ Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. ■ Stay home when you are sick. ■ Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. ■ Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe. ■ The CDC does not recommend using a face mask to protect yourself from respiratory viruses. Face masks should be used by people who are ill to help prevent the spread of disease to others. Face masks are also critical for health workers and people who are taking care of someone in a close setting, either at home or in the hospital. ■ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, eating, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. If you don’t have access to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Always wash your hands if they are visibly dirty.

What is the clinical presentation of COVID-19?

Most of the reports that describe the clinical presentation of patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection come from hospitalized patients with pneumonia.

The incubation period is estimated at around five days, but some studies have estimated a wider range and information gleaned from human infections with other coronaviruses, such as MERS and SARS, suggest the incubation period may range from two-14 days.

Frequently reported signs and symptoms of COVID-19 infection include: ■ Fever. ■ Cough. ■ Myalgia or fatigue. ■ Shortness of breath. ■ Sore throat. ■ Sputum production. ■ Headache. ■ Hemoptysis. ■ Diarrhea.

Risk factors are not yet clear, but older patients and those with chronic illnesses may be at higher risk for severe illness. Most reported cases are in adults with a median age of 59 years. A little more than half were male. About a third to a half had underlying comorbidities, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Critically ill patients were older and were more likely to have underlying comorbid conditions.

Some reports suggest there may be a clinical deterioration in the patient’s second week of illness, with just over half of patients developing dyspnea a median eight days after illness onset with a range of five-13 days for the development. In another report, the mean time from illness onset to hospital admission with pneumonia was nine days. From 17-29 percent of hospitalized patients developed acute respiratory distress syndrome and about 10 percent developed a secondary infection. Between 23-32 percent of hospitalized patients required intensive care for respiratory support. Some patients have required advanced organ support with endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation, and a small proportion have also been supported with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

Nosocomial transmission among health care personnel and patients has been reported.

What are the testing protocols if COVID-19 is suspected?

Testing for COVID-19 can only take place at the CDC as of press time. State and local health departments who have identified a person under investigation should notify the CDC’s Emergency Operations Center to report the person and determine whether testing for COVID-19 is necessary. The EOC will help local and state authorities collect, store and ship specimens to the CDC, including after hours or on weekends or holidays.

A negative result means that the COVID-19 virus was not found in the person’s sample. However, in the early stages of infection, it is possible the virus will not be detected. For COVID-19, a negative test result means it is not likely that COVID-19 is causing their illness.

What therapeutic options are available for COVID-19?

As of press time, there were no antiviral drugs licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat patients infected with COVID-19. In-vitro or in-vivo studies suggest against potential therapeutic activity of compounds against related coronaviruses, but there are no available data from observational studies or randomized controlled trials in humans to support recommending any investigational therapeutics for patients with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection at this time.

Remdesivir, an investigational antiviral drug, was reported to have in-vitro activity against COVID-19. A small number of patients with the virus have received intravenous remdesivir for compassionate use outside of a clinical trial setting. A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of remdesivir for treatment of hospitalized patients with pneumonia and COVID-19 has begun in China as of press time. A randomized open label trial of combination lopinavirritonavir treatment has also been conducted in hospitalized patients with pneumonia and COVID-19 infection, results were not available as of press time. More clinical trials are being planned.

Am I at risk from a package or products shipped from China?

COVID-19 is a new virus and there’s a lot we don’t know about it. However, it is genetically related to SARS and MERS, which we do know about. In general, coronaviruses don’t live long on surfaces, so there’s a very low risk from products and packages that were shipped over a period of days or weeks at ambient temperatures. There is no evidence at present to support transmission of COVID-19 through imported goods.

What about animals or animal products shipped from China?

There is no evidence to suggest that animals or animal products from China will spread COVID-19 in the U.S. The CDC, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are monitoring any threats associated with the importation of live animals and animal products into the United States.

Are there any travel warnings associated with COVID-19?

Yes. The CDC recommends that Americans avoid all nonessential travel to China. In other areas where COVID-19 is sustained, such as Japan and South Korea, the CDC recommends that older adults and those with chronic medical conditions consider postponing nonessential travel. Other areas with a number of COVID-19 cases, such as Hong Kong, Iran and Italy are not warned, the CDC says, but travelers should practice the usual precautions. Destinations with apparent community spread, meaning some people are not sure how or where they became infected, include Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.