Understanding The Coronavirus in Alexandria
With the spread of the coronavirus, there has been a lot of concerns and misinformation that is going around which could lead to more of a panic. Our chiropractor in Alexandria is here to help you understand what is going on, lets first understand what we are dealing with.
What is the coronavirus?
The coronavirus is a family of viruses that are known to cause diseases such as the common cold, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) seen in 2003, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) seen in 2012, and most recently the COVID-19 which started in 2019.
How is it spread?
The virus is spread mainly from person-to-person by respiratory droplets. So whenever anyone who is infected with the coronavirus coughs or sneezes, the droplets containing the virus can be inhaled by the people around them. Another way the virus can spread is that the droplets land on a surface and can be transferred when another person touches the surface and then touches their nose, eyes or mouth.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms of the coronavirus are fever, cough, and shortness of breath. However, symptoms may not show for up to 14 days after being infected by the virus, so it\'s a good idea to practice good hygiene to help prevent getting sick and from passing the infection on to others if you\'re infected.
What are some ways to prevent catching or spreading the virus?
One of the most important things you can do and is highly recommended even if you are not sick is to wash your hands with soap and water for a minimum of 20 seconds. Washing your hands help ensure that you remove the virus from your hands and help prevent it from spreading to other parts of your body such as your nose, eyes, and mouth. Another thing to be mindful of is to cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue or with the inside of your elbow instead of coughing or sneezing into your hands, which would increase the risk of you passing on the virus by touching other objects or by spreading the virus via respiratory droplets. Avoiding contact with others who are sick and avoiding contact with people when you are sick also helps stop the spread of the virus since there would be no way for the virus to transmit from one individual to another.
What should I do if I think I have coronavirus?
If you are showing symptoms of the coronavirus or suspect being infected by it, call your doctor and let them know. Practice good hygiene as mentioned earlier to help prevent the spread of the virus. As of now, there is no cure or vaccine for the virus, but there is supportive care to help reduce the symptoms.
How concerned should I be?
Like any viral infection, it is best to not downplay the severity of the disease. However, according to the World Health Organization, the virus is considered generally mild for kids and young adults and only 1 in 5 people who have the disease require hospital care. The elderly and those who are immunocompromised are more at risk due to having a weakened immune system.
With any new threat or disease that comes our way, there will always be some cause for alarm. If you still have any other questions or concerns, feel free to ask your doctor at Rosa Family Chiropractic of Alexandria for help and you can get more information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization as new information is announced.
