COVID-19: The Basics

Disclaimer: This blog post is up to date as of March 30th, 2020. However, guidelines and policies around COVID-19 are changing on a daily basis. We will endeavour to update this post often to reflect these changes. Toronto-specific COVID-19 information (updated daily) can be obtained from https://www.toronto.ca/home/covid-19/ or at 416-338-7600 (Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline)

What is COVID-19? COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease 2019 and is an infectious respiratory disease. It is caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus, which is a large family of viruses that are known to cause respiratory illnesses in humans, ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases like the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012 or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2003. It is thought that COVID-19 originated from an animal, much like MERS or SARS, however this has not been confirmed. The COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in December 2019.

We know now that COVID-19 is spread through droplet contact. This means that the virus spreads from human to human through small droplets from the nose or the mouth, when a person with COVID-19 coughs, sneezes or exhales. There are two main ways to catch COVID-19 from another person.

1. Inhaling the droplets of a person infected with the virus

2. Touching objects and surfaces that these droplets land on, and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

This is why it is important to maintain at least 2 meters (6 feet) apart from other people, to wash your hands often, and to avoid touching your face. How to Self-Isolate https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/ncov/factsheet-covid-19-how-to-self-isolate.pdf?la=en

How do I protect myself and those around me?

Here are several ways to protect yourself from COVID-19:

• Social distancing. This is probably the most important thing you can do to protect yourself and your community.

• Avoid non-essential trips in the community

• Limit, postpone or cancel gatherings (no gatherings over 5 people)

• Work from home where possible

• Conduct meetings virtually

• Keep children away from group settings

• Avoid visiting long-term care homes and other healthcare settings

• Keep at least 2 meters (6 feet) away from others when going for walks or going out into the community

• Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands using soap and water or a hand sanitizer

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth

• Follow good respiratory hygiene by coughing or sneezing into your elbow or a tissue

• Stay home if you feel unwell

• If you have just returned from another country, quarantine yourself for at least 14 days

Is there treatment or a cure?

Unfortunately, there is no treatment or cure for COVID-19 yet. Treatment of the infection currently is aimed at relieving symptoms. Antibiotics are not effective in this case as they only work on bacterial infections, while this is a viral infection.

There are several ongoing clinical trials aimed at developing a cure and vaccine for COVID-19. However, these are not ready for use yet and could take several months before they are available.

Legal Disclaimer

These presentations are intended for general information purposes only. Audience are recommended to consult with qualified healthcare provider and obtain professional advice and subsequent management for your particular conditions. The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Assisting in Medical Expectations.