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COVID-19: Everything You Need to Know

COVID-19 is a disease that has affected millions of people around the world since it emerged in late 2019. It is caused by a new strain of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, which can cause mild to severe respiratory infections. In some cases, COVID-19 can lead to serious complications and death.

Vietnam and the World: Tracking the COVID-19 Outbreak by Numbers

us
Coronavirus Cases
111,820,082
Recovered:
109,814,428
Deaths:
1,219,487
World
Coronavirus Cases
0
Recovered:
0
Deaths:
0
Updated at 2024-04-20 17:14:36

What is COVID-19 and How Did It Start?

COVID-19 is a disease that is caused by a new strain of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. Coronavirus is a family of viruses that can infect humans and animals and cause respiratory illnesses. COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease 2019, as it was first detected in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.

The exact origin of COVID-19 is still under investigation, but it is believed that the virus jumped from an animal to a human at a wildlife market in Wuhan. Scientists have been trying to identify the animal source of the virus, and some of the possible candidates are bats, snakes, and pangolins. However, there is no conclusive evidence yet to confirm which animal was the original host of the virus.

The virus spreads from person to person through respiratory droplets that are released when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. The droplets can land on the nose or mouth of someone nearby, or be inhaled into the lungs. The virus can also spread by touching contaminated surfaces or objects and then touching the eyes, nose, or mouth.

COVID-19 can cause mild to severe symptoms, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of smell or taste, and pneumonia. Some people may have no symptoms at all, but can still transmit the virus to others. In some cases, COVID-19 can lead to serious complications, such as organ failure and death.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, people are advised to wear face masks in public places, practice social distancing, wash their hands frequently, and avoid touching their faces. People who have symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 should self-isolate and seek medical attention if needed.

What are the Symptoms of COVID-19 and How to Prevent It?

According to the CDC, some of the possible symptoms of COVID-19 are:

  • Fever or chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Headache
  • New loss of taste or smell
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

These symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Some people may have mild symptoms, while others may have severe illness. Some people may have no symptoms at all, but can still spread the virus.

Some of the emergency warning signs that require immediate medical attention are:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion
  • Inability to wake or stay awake
  • Pale, gray, or blue-colored skin, lips, or nail beds, depending on skin tone

To prevent COVID-19, the CDC recommends getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public settings, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, washing your hands often, covering your coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.

What is the Status of the COVID-19 Vaccine and How Effective Is It?

The status of the COVID-19 vaccine varies depending on the country and the availability of different vaccine products. According to the WHO, as of July 31, 2023, more than 6 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, covering about 40% of the global population. However, there is still a significant gap in vaccine access between high-income and low-income countries, and the WHO urges more equitable distribution of vaccines to end the pandemic.

The effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine is a measure of how well it works under real-world conditions to protect people against health outcomes such as infection, symptomatic illness, hospitalization, and death. The CDC states that all COVID-19 vaccines authorized for emergency use in the United States have been shown to be safe and effective in preventing severe COVID-19 illness and death. The effectiveness of different vaccine products may vary depending on several factors, such as age group, risk group, outcome, vaccine dose, and time since vaccination. The CDC also monitors the impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants and the potential waning of vaccine protection over time.

The WHO provides interim best practice guidance on how to assess COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness using observational study designs. These studies can help generate evidence on the real-world impact of vaccination programs and inform policy decisions and guidance on other prevention measures.

How Does COVID-19 Compare with COVID-2020 and Other Coronaviruses?

COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by a new type of coronavirus that emerged in China in late 2019.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is called SARS-CoV-2, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. It is one of many coronaviruses that can infect humans and animals.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause respiratory illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as SARS and MERS.

These viruses have a crown-like appearance under a microscope, hence the name “corona”. Some coronaviruses can jump from animals to humans, causing outbreaks of novel diseases.

COVID-2020 is not an official name for any disease or virus. It may be used informally by some people to refer to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has lasted from 2019 to 2020 and beyond.

However, this term can be confusing and misleading, as it does not reflect the scientific classification or naming of the disease or the virus.

  • COVID-19 differs from other coronaviruses in several ways, such as its origin, transmission, symptoms, severity, and prevention. Some of the differences are:
  • COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus that was not previously known or understood by health experts.
  • COVID-19 is likely more contagious than other coronaviruses because it is new to humans and their immune systems are not ready to fight it.
  • COVID-19 can cause a wide range of symptoms, from mild to severe, and some people may have no symptoms at all. Some of the common symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, and fatigue. Some of the emergency symptoms include trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, and bluish skin or lips.
  • COVID-19 can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, organ failure, blood clots, and death. Some people may experience long-term effects of COVID-19, such as fatigue, brain fog, heart problems, and lung damage. Some children may develop a rare inflammatory syndrome after having COVID-19.
  • COVID-19 can be prevented by getting vaccinated, wearing a mask in public settings, avoiding close contact with people who are sick, washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why's it called “coronavirus”?

The word coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, which means crown or wreath. This is because the virus has a series of crown-like spikes on its surface, which you can see under a microscope. The name was coined by June Almeida and David Tyrrell, who first observed and studied human coronaviruses in the 1960s.

Coronavirus is a general term for a large family of viruses that can cause different diseases in humans and animals. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a specific type of coronavirus that was discovered in 2019. It is officially named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), because it is genetically related to the virus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003. COVID-19 is an abbreviation of coronavirus disease 2019, which is the name of the disease that SARS-CoV-2 causes

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