Many times in life we experience adverse moments, of worry but in many cases, we assume inappropriate attitudes, fear and despair surround us and turns that problem into something irreversible.
Certainly, the World Health Organization (WHO), after overcoming more than 100,000 cases worldwide of people affected by the coronavirus, declared a disease as a pandemic.
However, despite having expanded to more than 162 countries worldwide, hopes for eradication and control possibilities for covid-19 are encouraging.
“It is worrying that so many countries have been affected so quickly, the number of cases shows that the pandemic threat has become real, but this could be the first pandemic in history that we can control,” said Teodoro Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director of the WHO.
When someone is ill and the identification of their pathology, of what attacks their good health condition becomes difficult and even late, the concern arises because of the doctors have not been able to determine their disease, there is no way to attack it, There are no tips or recommendations to eradicate it. “Fortunately this is not the case with the coronavirus, an infected person can be cured.”
A pandemic implies a sustained, effective and continuous transmission of the disease simultaneously in more than three different geographical regions and although this is the reality about the coronavirus, this is not synonymous with death, since the term does not refer to lethality. of the pathogen, but its transmissibility and geographical extension.
What we can appreciate is a pandemic of fear, a fact that we must avoid.
For the first time in history we are experiencing an epidemic in real-time: all the media, several times a day, every day, all over the planet, talk about the coronavirus and it is not that they are reporting evil, but these are the moments where it is necessary to also transmit good attitudes and talk about the good news that may be happening around the event.
The good news that revolves around the coronavirus is:
· We have identified who it is.
Identifying the virus that causes AIDS took a few years. The first cases occurred in 1981 and it was only after more than two years that the virus causing the disease was identified. The first cases of severe pneumonia (coronavirus) were reported in China on December 31, 2019, and by January 7 the virus had already been identified.
· There is already a way to detect it.
Starting on January 13, an RT-PCR assay to detect the virus is available to everyone.
These types of tests have recently been perfected and their sensitivity and specificity have been evaluated.
· In its place of origin the situation is improving.
As we know, China was the country with the first cases of the virus. The strong control and isolation measures imposed by China are bearing fruit. For several weeks now, the number of diagnosed cases has decreased every day.
· 80% of the cases are mild.
The disease causes no symptoms or is mild in 81% of cases.
In the remaining 14%, it can cause severe pneumonia and in 5% it can become critical or even fatal.
· The person with the virus can be cured.
The only data that is sometimes shown in the media is the increase in confirmed cases and the number of deaths, but most infected people are cured.
There are 13 times more patients cured than deceased, and the proportion is increasing.
· The affections of minors are low.
Only 3% of cases occur in children under 20 years of age, and mortality in children under 40 years of age is only 0.2%.
In minors, the symptoms are so slight that it can go unnoticed.
· There is already a way to detect it.
The virus can be effectively inactivated from surfaces with an ethanol solution (62-71% alcohol). Hydrogen peroxide (0.5% hydrogen peroxide) or sodium hypochlorite (0.1% bleach) in just one minute.
Frequent handwashing with soap and water is the most effective way to avoid contagion.
· There are already more than 80 ongoing antiviral clinical trials.
Vaccines are preventive. Even more important are the possible treatments for people who are already sick. There are already more than 80 clinical trials to analyze coronavirus treatments.
These are antivirals that have been used for other conditions, that are already approved and that we know are safe.
As we have seen, the coronavirus can be cured, it just takes a lot of awareness, follow the recommendations that are heard every minute by the different media, social networks, etc. and most importantly “Keep calm and don’t despair”.
