thebibliosphere:

recordsystem:

thebibliosphere:

burninglights:

burninglights:

CORONAVIRUS ADVICE

• Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a human pathogen. Viruses similar to COVID-19 spread in the same way as the flu: infection from coughing, sneezing, and contact with contaminated bodily fluids.
• Symptoms of the coronavirus are similar to those of the seasonal flu: congestion, coughing, fever, headache and nausea.
• The majority (4 out of every 5 people infected) will have mild flu-like symptoms.
• COVID-19 poses the greatest risk to the very old, very young, and immunocompromised (asthmatic patients, recent surgery patients, people with chronic long term illness and people undergoing chemotherapy).
• Again for the record: AS FAR AS WE KNOW CORONAVIRUS POSES NO SIGNIFICANT LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS UNLESS YOU ARE ALREADY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
• The spread of novel coronavirus can be prevented by proper hygiene. Wash your hands thoroughly, including in between your fingers and under your nails, use hand sanitiser, and make sure to cough and sneeze into tissues or into the crook of your elbow to minimise droplet infection.
• If you are returning from an affected area and begin to experience flu-like symptoms, self-isolate at home for 14 days and contact your local health authority to inform them – this can be done by calling the NHS 111 number in the UK.
• DO NOT WALK INTO A&E / THE EMERGENCY ROOM IF YOU’VE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM AN AFFECTED AREA AND ARE EXPERIENCING SYMPTOMS: IF YOU DO HAVE THE CORONAVIRUS YOU ARE POTENTIALLY EXPOSING THE AT-RISK GROUP TO THE VIRUS.
• Remember, your flu symptoms are far, FAR more likely to be the actual flu than coronavirus.

I’m a biomedical scientist. Knowing how disease works is uh. literally my job. For most of us, the coronavirus poses no significant risk. The precautions are to protect those who are already ill/unable to fight the disease effectively.

Sources:

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus (COVID-19): latest information and advice

@thebibliosphere

Thank you for the info and the NHS resources.

What do you do if you ARE immunocompromised though? I don’t wanna die waiting 14 days at home.

As stated above, if you start coming down with symptoms you need to contact your health care provider and let them know you are unwell. Most people will be told to stay at home and stay quarantined. Those of us with compromised immune systems may well be asked to come in for an examination while taking necessary precautions to prevent spread of infection (gloves, mask, etc), or if we are particularly symptomatic and liable to spread infection, a medical team equipped to deal with this sort of thing may be sent to us. If you are very, very unwell, do not hesitate to call for an ambulance and tell the dispatcher you are having respiratory symptoms similar to COVID-19 so the ambulance crew can be prepared.

I had to deal with this when H1N1 hit the UK and two of my close relatives ended up quarantined in hospital.