CORONAVIRUS |
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. A coronavirus identified in 2019, SARS-CoV-2, has caused a pandemic of respiratory illness, called COVID-19. It is a kind of common virus that causes an infection in nose, sinuses, or upper throat. In early 2020, after a December 2019 outbreak in China, the World Health Organization identified SARS-CoV-2 as a new type of coronavirus. The outbreak quickly spread around the world. |
SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS |
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PRECAUTIONS |
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GLOSSARY OF TERMS |
Acute Respiratory Stress Syndrome (ARDS) A condition in which fluid builds up in the air sacs of the lungs. Asymptomatic Presenting no symptoms of disease. Case Fatality Rate The ratio of deaths from COVID-19 to the total number of individuals. Clinical Trial Research experiments on human participants designed to answer questions about new treatments. Community Spread The spread of a contagious disease in a geographic area in which there is no knowledge of how someone contracted the disease. Confirmed Positive Case In contrast to a presumptive positive case, this is confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of a positive COVID-19 test in an individual. Contact Tracing Identifying and monitoring people who may have come into contact with an infectious person. Epidemic A widespread occurrence of an infectious disease in a community or geographic area. Epidemic Curve A graph or chart depicting the progression of an outbreak in a particular population. Epidemiology Branch of medicine which deals largely with public health, including the incidence, distribution, analysis and control of diseases. Forehead Thermometer A device that measures body temperature through hovering near or contact with the forehead rather than traditional insertion. Herd Immunity Also known as community immunity, this is the reduction in risk of infection within a population, often because of previous exposure or vaccination. Immune Surveillance The process of monitoring the immune system’s activities, which may include the detection and destruction of foreign substances, cells or tissues. Incubation Period The time between when an individual is first exposed to the virus and the appearance of symptoms. Index case The first documented case of an infectious disease. Index patient The first person infected with a disease in an epidemic. Interchangeable with the term ‘patient zero’. Lockdown An emergency measure in which individuals are restricted from certain areas in an attempt to control exposure or transmission of disease. Pandemic Worldwide spread of an infectious disease, with larger reach than an epidemic. Until COVID-19, the last pandemic was the H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009. |
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