COVID-19 Virus 101 COVID-19 is a disease caused by a coronavirus. Coronaviruses cause mild to moderate upper or lower respiratory tract illnesses.
What is COVID19?
The virus known as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2, causes COVID-19. You can get COVID-19 from respiratory droplets, when a person who has it coughs, sneezes, or talks.
How do you protect yourself ? Social Distance:
Keep a distance of 6 feet to stop respiratory droplets from our mouths and noses from reaching others.
Wear a Mask:
Wear a mask to stop respiratory droplets from being projected.
Wash Hands:
Wash hands to keep respiratory droplets from getting on surfaces or objects.
What happens if you get COVID-19? Two things can happen if you get infected; you develop symptoms or you don’t. If you have no symptoms, that doesn’t mean you aren’t infected. This is called being asymptomatic, it means you have the virus, but your body didn’t express the typical symptoms of the virus. To be sure you don't have COVID-19, get tested.
What are symptoms to look for? Symptoms vary widely in individuals, while one person can have no symptoms others can react severely to the virus leading to hospitalization or even death. Common symptoms include: Cough Fever
Fatigue Congestion
Loss of taste/smell Shortness of breath
Diarrhea And more
What does it look like if someone gets COVID-19 from start to finish?
It’s possible to spread the virus before you show any symptoms. If you never develop symptoms you could be giving the virus to others without even knowing it.
Why are masks so important? This virus spreads easily from person to person. It can linger for minutes to hours in the air and on surfaces. Vaccination efforts are underway and as more people get vaccinated, fewer people remain vulnerable. The best way to keep each other safe is to stay home. If you can't stay home or vaccinate, wear a mask to block the respiratory droplets from ever spreading.
Take Away:
Together we can stop the spread of COVID-19 from reaching our family, friends, and community. We are in this together and together we will make it through this pandemic.
Document finalized on 05/25/2021. Sources include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, John Hopkins & more. For a full list of sources, questions or concerns contact: tahelp@spthb.org.