Everyone around the world knows about the COVID-19 pandemic now. It has touched every corner of the globe and every continent. With it showing no signs of coming to an end as of early 2021, it is worth finding out some cold hard facts about the virus. This will help you to understand it more and feel safer. But what are the ten most important COVID-19 facts to know?
10 – Over The Counter Medication Is Fine
You might have heard that traditional over the counter medication (such as ibuprofen) should be avoided if you do catch COVID-19. This is not true though and it is fine to take medication like this, as long as you are not allergic to it and it helps you feel better. The World Health Organisation backs this up and a range of medical experts around the world also agree. Although vaccines seem to be the best medical cure for the pandemic, taking OTC medication should present no problem if you need it to help with COVID symptoms.
09 – There Are Some Common Symptoms To Look Out For
One key fact to know about COVID is that it has some common symptoms to look out for. If you experience more than one of them and believe you have the virus, it is key to get tested and isolate until you get the all-clear. But what symptoms are these? The most common are a high temperature and a new continuous cough. There have also been other symptoms such as loss of taste or smell added to the list over time.
08 – It Has A High Survival Rate
The number of deaths accredited to the virus globally is a tragedy. Further research though shows that the survival rate from COVID-19 is actually very high, at around 99.9%. It is therefore important to keep this in mind and put the numbers we are being told into some sort of context. This means that most people should not worry about getting it, as you should recover from it just fine. Only the elderly and vulnerable with previous underlying conditions should worry about being at serious risk.
07 – Lockdowns May Not Be The Answer
Lots of countries decided to lockdown their citizens and restrict their basic freedom in a bid to fight COVID-19. In the UK for example, lockdowns were in place for much of 2020 and still carry on in 2021. But do they actually work? The evidence would suggest not as every country that has locked down has in fact not beaten COVID and actually seen cases continue to rise. Sweden on the other hand did not lock down and has seen a much better response to the virus over time, in terms of cases and deaths.
06 – Vaccines Should Help
For many people, the development and rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine is what will help us beat the virus and allow everyone to get back to normal. This has seen multiple COVID vaccines rushed into production around the world. While there are concerns around how quickly these were taken through testing and what their long-term side effects may be, they may still be the best route to normal life once more. If those who really need them choose to have them, it could help us deal with COVID in much the same way as flu.
05 – Its Origins Are Still Unknown
Did COVID come from an infected bat sandwich in China? Or a secret bio-weapons lab in Wuhan? Or did it just occur naturally as most viruses do? The simple answer is that we just don’t know yet. While there is lots of speculation on the internet, the exact origins of COVID-19 are not yet confirmed. Whether we will ever know is a major question and one that is hard to answer right now.
04 – Coronavirus Is A Large Family Of Viruses
You might not know this but coronaviruses as a whole area large family of viruses that cause mild colds in people. The name comes from the crown like shape the virus has under a microscope. Interestingly, these viruses can pass from animals to humans in a process called zoonosis. It is thought that COVID-19 is a new variant in the coronavirus family which is more severe to humans. Experts believe that COVID-19 acts in much the same ways as the SARS virus when humans are infected with it.
03 – It Spreads Easily
Just like a cold, COVID-19 spreads quite easily. This is only natural as it is an airborne virus, in much the same way as the common cold. The main forms of transmission are coughing and sneezing. If an infected person coughs or sneezes, then the virus droplets can carry in the air and infect another person close by. It is thought that the virus droplets can also live on some surfaces for sometime. This can be another way that people get infected, due to touching surfaces the virus is found on.
02 – Most of The World Has United In Their Response
When you look at all the major countries on a global scale, it is interesting to note the united front most show in their response to COVID-19. Social distancing, face masks and lockdowns have been seen in the majority of countries fighting the virus for example. This is actually very unusual as you would expect the countries fighting COVID-19 to implement their own rules and fight it in their own way – rather than all using the exact same response. While a few countries have gone their own way, most have come together in a one world government style attack on the virus.
01 – Normal Life Must Resume Again Soon
As with all big issues, COVID has seen plenty of debate around whether lockdowns are effective and the impact they have on our freedom. Wherever you stand on issues like this, one thing is clear – we must soon get back to normal pre-COVID-19 life. The suffering, death and misery that COVID lockdowns and restrictions bring is not sustainable. People cannot be expected to live without freedom forever. While we must fight the virus and protect people from it, it cannot be at any cost to everything else.
When it comes to COVID-19, there is lots of hysteria and lots of noise to cut through. The above facts are worth knowing so you can stay safe from the virus and protect others. They will also put the virus into context for you and stop you worrying unduly about it. It is worth repeating that only the elderly and vulnerable with underlying conditions are seriously at risk from it. Most other people will simply feel like they have a bad cold if they get it and recover over a few days. While some people may unfortunately die from COVID-19, this is the same as every other virus on the planet – from flu to pneumonia, tuberculosis and beyond.