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Pandemic Corona, Influenza and Our Fears
21st Century Pandemic - “Covid-19 Pandemic”
When I was a child, I heard stories about the horrors of epidemics of some diseases including plague and smallpox etc. In this era, we experienced the ”Covid-19 pandemic”. Many days have passed and we are still surviving after largely defeating Covid-19. But we have not yet overcome the fear. Whenever I see a patient with a cold, the thought of staying away still comes to mind.
Any disease is painful, but even then if that disease
is contagious - then there is no point, we are completely terrified and lose
our sense of direction. Everyone around us becomes more restless than the
patient. I am telling the story of my experience during Corona -----
I had just recovered from influenza. It made me suffer
a lot. But the fear of Corona surpassed all physical suffering. I myself got
scared and sprayed sanitizer all over the house.
Seeing that, my housekeeper fled on the pretext of
illness. I also did not say anything. I thought why would anyone risk their
life for me.
Although I knew about the difference between Corona
and Influenza, my housekeeper was reluctant to listen to anything and in the
conversation it was understood that many people these days suffer from Corona
panic even though they have a common cold and do not even know which is Corona
and which is a common cold.
To live a healthy life and avoid unnecessary panic, it
is good to know the difference between corona and influenza.
Unfortunately, we are going through a very disastrous
time in the history of the world! This epidemic has been called the “Corona”
pandemic. The word “Corona” has several lexical meanings - such as: (1) the
harmful solar halo created during a total solar eclipse, (2) the halo of light
around the sun or moon, (3) the crown of flowers.
Why is it named ‘Corona’? Some say - the word Corona
means crown - and the virus looks like a crown under the microscope - hence its
name Corona. Whatever it is - what does it matter with a name. An epidemic is
an epidemic. Who knows whether it will erase the name of humans from the world
or not! I have prayed to God - forgive and protect his creatures.
Over the ages, some diseases have devastated the world
many times in the form of epidemics. Among them, the names of plague, smallpox,
cholera, swine flu can be mentioned. The fact that even the common flu can
become a life-threatening pandemic was beyond human imagination until the
outbreak of other pandemics like the coronavirus.
Now the problem is that people are panicking when they
get a common cold or flu. Therefore, I am highlighting the differences between
the common flu and the coronavirus that are currently available from various
studies and data published in various media.
Similarities
with the common flu -
Corona and influenza - both are respiratory diseases.
Both are spread in the same way - through droplets (liquid particles released
from the mouth or nose) and contact with various objects. Therefore, the way to
prevent both is the same.
The only way to prevent the disease is to follow the
etiquette of sneezing and coughing, wash your hands frequently and avoid
contact with infected people.
The symptoms of both infections are also similar -
from a common mild and dry cold-cough-fever to severe infection, pneumonia or
inflammation of the respiratory tract leading to respiratory failure, multiple
organ failure or death.
Dissimilarities
with the common flu -
The incubation period of influenza (the time from
exposure to the virus to the appearance of symptoms) and the median serial
interval (the time it takes for the virus to spread from one person to another)
are shorter than those of COVID-19. The serial interval of Covid-19 is five/six
days, influenza is three days. This means that influenza spreads faster than
Covid-19. However, coronavirus can infect a much larger number of people.
The main victims of influenza are children. However,
according to preliminary data, compared to the elderly and at-risk people,
corona infection is almost non-existent in children aged zero to nine years.
What experts said - There is also a big difference in
the severity of the disease. In 80 percent of cases of Covid-19 infection, mild
symptoms occur, which are cured by themselves. In 15 percent of cases, the
symptoms are severe. In such cases, the patient needs to be given oxygen. Only
5 percent have serious complications. In this case, the patient needs a
ventilator.
This virus was constantly changing its form.
Not only children, but also pregnant women, the
elderly and people with low immunity are at risk from influenza. People over 60
years of age have been found to be at the highest risk from Covid-19.
In addition, people suffering from diabetes, heart
disease, kidney complications and other long-term problems and those with low
immunity were at risk. The mortality rate for Covid-19 was 3-4 percent. The
mortality rate for influenza was 0.1 percent.
No effective medicine or vaccine has been specifically
invented to eradicate corona. But it is not true that corona will not happen if
you get vaccinated. So even if you get vaccinated, it was important to follow
all the other rules, including wearing a mask. However, there is an effective
vaccine for influenza.
In influenza, the fever usually rises to 103. There
will be mucus in the nose and cough. The cough is not very high. There will be
aches and pains in the head and body. But in corona, the fever is seen to be up
to 100 or 101. The pain was definitely there. Both the cold and cough were dry,
there was no mucus at all. The cough was very high and lasted for a long time.
Breathing difficulties would start within a few days.
The doctor's advice in this regard was - "If you
have a dry cold-cough-fever, you have no history or risk of coming into contact
with a corona infected person and if you are not on the list of risk people, then
do not worry.
Paracetamol, drink plenty of water and fluids, eat
nutritious food and rest are your treatment for fever. However, if the fever
does not go away even after five to seven days, breathing difficulties occur or
the patient's condition deteriorates rapidly, then contact the doctor. And if
you are a high-risk person and have been in contact with an infected person,
contact any government or private epidemiological, disease control and research
organization as soon as symptoms appear. For both these diseases, paracetamol
for fever, drinking plenty of water and fluids, eating nutritious food and
resting are the appropriate treatments."
Then, continuous research was conducted on the deadly
coronavirus around the world, and new information was continuously obtained and
it was found that -
Coronavirus needs living cells to survive and divide
and reproduce. A study has found an idea of how long the virus can survive
outside the human body.
Researchers caught the virus from a patient's cough or
sneeze through a nebulizer. It was found that the virus then transformed itself
into small particles.
The coronavirus survives ----
1. In the air for a maximum of 3 hours
2. On copper for a maximum of 4 hours
3. On cardboard for a maximum of 24 hours
4. On plastic for 2 to 3 days
5. On stainless steel for 2 to 3 days.
Age-specific mortality rates --
0.2% -- under 40
0.4% -- 40 to 50
1.8% -- 50 to 60
3.6% -- 60 to 70
8.0% -- 70 to 80
14.8% -- over 80
Note: According to a study conducted by the CDC in
February 2020 and -
Source: WHO/NHS/ECDC, Europe, EU/New Scientist@AFP.
However, this estimate is subject to change.
Be aware to lead a healthy life - because 'anything
can happen at any time, Death and disease follow us from birth,
appearing before us whenever they get the chance.'
