Dr Sandeep C Reddy

Emergency Medicine Physician

GURUDHARMAM MISSION HOSPITAL
MALA
What is Corona Virus?
 Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that
cause illness ranging from the common cold to more
severe diseases
Novel Corona Virus
 The new, or “novel” coronavirus, now called 2019-
nCoV, had not previously detected in humans before
the outbreak was reported in Wuhan, China in
December 2019.
Mode of Transmission
 Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are
transmitted between animals and people. Example -
civet cats and camels to humans.
 Animal source from a live animal market in China was
responsible for some of the first reported human
infections most likely.
 It can be transmitted from person to person, usually
after close contact with an infected patient, for
example, in a household workplace, or health care
centre
 contact with an infected person through respiratory
droplets generated when a person, for example, coughs
or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge
from the nose
 No, at present there is no evidence that companion
animals or pets such as cats and dogs have been
infected or have spread 2019-nCoV.
Who is at risk
 People living or travelling in an area where the 2019-
nCoV virus is circulating may be at risk of infection
 People who have recently traveled from China or who
have been living or working closely with those
travellers, such as family members, co-workers or
medical professionals caring for a patient
What are the Symptoms
 Mild symptoms including a runny nose, sore throat, cough,
and fever.
 Severe symptoms like pneumonia or breathing difficulties.
 Fatal (more rarely) to older people, diabetes and heart
disease or pre-existing medical illness are more vulnerable
Protection
 When visiting live animal markets, avoid direct
unprotected contact with live animals and surfaces in
contact with animals.
 The consumption of raw or undercooked animal products
should be avoided.
 Raw meat, milk or animal organs should be handled with
care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, as
per good food safety practices.
PREVENTION
 Wash your hands frequently
 Maintain social distancing
 Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
 Seek medical care early
 Carefully practice basic respiratory and hand
hygiene and stay home until you are recovered, if
possible.
 Sneeze or cough into a flexed elbow, or use a
tissue and discard it immediately into a closed
bin.
PREVENTION
 Wash your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub
or soap and water Why? Washing your hands with an alcohol-
based hand rub or soap and water kills the virus if it is on your
hands.
 Maintain social distancing – maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet)
distance between yourself and other people, particularly those
who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever. Why? When
someone who is infected with a respiratory disease, like 2019-
nCoV, coughs or sneezes they project small droplets containing
the virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the virus
 Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth Why? Hands touch
many surfaces which can be contaminated with the virus. If you
touch your eyes, nose or mouth with your contaminated hands,
you can transfer the virus from the surface to yourself.
 If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care
early. Tell your health care provider if you have travelled in an area in
China where 2019-nCoV has been reported, or if you have been in close
contact with someone with who has travelled from China and has
respiratory symptoms.Why? Whenever you have fever, cough and
difficulty breathing it’s important to seek medical attention promptly
as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition.
Respiratory symptoms with fever can have a range of causes, and
depending on your personal travel history and circumstances, 2019-
nCoV could be one of them.
 If you have mild respiratory symptoms and no travel history to or
within China, carefully practice basic respiratory and hand
hygiene and stay home until you are recovered, if possible.
 sneeze or cough into a flexed elbow, or use a tissue and discard it
immediately into a closed bin. It is also very important for people to
wash their hands regularly with either alcohol-based hand rub or soap
and water.
Survival of Virus
 virus may survive a few hours. Simple disinfectants can kill
the virus making it no longer possible to infect people
 The incubation period is the time between infection and
the onset of clinical symptoms of disease. Current
estimates of the incubation period range from 2-11/14 days.
 People receiving packages are not at risk of contracting the
new coronavirus. Viruses don’t survive long on objects,
such as letters or packages.
How to use mask
 Before putting on a mask, wash hands with
alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water
 Cover mouth and nose with mask and make sure
there are no gaps between your face and the mask
 Avoid touching the mask while using it; if you do,
clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or
soap and water
 Replace the mask with a new one as soon as it is
damp and do not re-use single-use masks
 To remove the mask: remove it from behind (do
not touch the front of mask); discard immediately
in a closed bin; wash hands with alcohol-based
hand rub or soap and water
Treatment
 No specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat
the novel coronavirus
 No, antibiotics do not work against viruses, they only
work on bacterial infections.
 Should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat
symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive
optimized supportive care
Not recommended
 The following measures are not specifically
recommended as 2019-nCoV remedies as they are not
effective to protect yourself and can be even harmful:
 Taking vitamin C
 Smoking
 Drinking tradition herbal teas
 Wearing multiple masks to maximize protection
 Taking self-medication such as antibiotics
 In any case, if you have fever, cough and difficulty
breathing seek medical care early to reduce the risk of
developing a more severe infection
 Share your recent travel history with your health care
provider.