Be Wise - Be Alert

It is early days in the development and understanding of this new disease and it is easy to be soothed into ignoring the potential threat it may pose.  It is imperative to be self-aware and to stay up-to-date on the developments of the COVID-19 virus.  

Since I began monitoring and researching the growth of interest in this virus, I've noticed reporting is either sensationalism or 'no worries, she'll be right, mate' attitudes with much of what I'm finding.  My hope is that I will provide resources that are balanced and helpful.  

Symptoms 

The disease is not new in animals, but it is new in humans and that is why it is so dangerous (more on that in another article).  It seems the disease was first noted by a physician in China on 3 December.  Much is still unknown, but here are what is thought to be the symptoms as of today:

Because it is the annual flu season, it is difficult to recognise if someone just has the flu, a cold or COVID-19.  

Primarily, COVID-19 affects the lungs.  It starts with a bit of a fever, then a dry cough (meaning when you cough, no mucus is produced).  However, there is rarely sneezing and a runny nose. 

After a week, those infected have difficulty breathing - a sense of shortness of breath.  This is when people are travelling to a hospital for help.

Here is a helpful infographic that the BBC put together:  

A significant challenge with identifying, managing and treating this disease is that much is still unknown about how it is behaving.  The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) initially chose to hide the existence and seriousness of the virus.  Now, they are overwhelmed with the difficulties this choice has made for their people as the number of cases increase exponentially.  

Information coming out of China is still being hampered and the government has said, 'No thanks' to outside help.  As the disease has now spread to 28 other countries (with five deaths outside China), it is under the watchful eye of the World Health Organisation (WHO).    

Considering the degree of readiness some developed countries enjoy it can be easy to forget other nations are not just ill-prepared but extremely vulnerable.   My hope is that the CCP will relent their grip on the facts and allow other medical research professionals to come to their aid before poorer countries are devastated.