SARS CoV-2 coronavirus is one of the most dangerous viruses in recent years, causing a worldwide pandemic. The first cases of coronavirus infection were recorded at the end of 2022 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The SARS CoV-2 coronavirus can cause mild cold-like symptoms or develop into acute respiratory failure leading to death.

SARS Coronavirus CoV-2is a pathogen that causes a respiratory infection called COVID-19. The world first heard about him onlate 2022 , when ChineseWuhanin Hubei Province waged a dramatic battle against the new type of virus. Over time, the virus spread all over the world.

The SARS CoV-2 coronavirus is genetically related to the SARS-CoV and MERS-Cov viruses, which caused smaller epidemics in 2002-03 and 2012. Since the 1960s, other types of coronaviruses have also been known that only cause mild signs of infection similar to a cold. The SARS CoV-2 virus turned out to be much more infectious.

On January 30, 2022, the World He alth Organization (WHO) announcedpublic he alth emergencyinternational, and on March 11, 2022, it announcedpandemiccoronavirus .

Where did SARS CoV-2 coronavirus come from?

Initial studies of the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus genome indicated that it originated in a colony ofbatsof the speciesRhinolophus affinisthat is alive in the province of Yunnan, more than 1000 km from Wuhan. According to WWF experts, the version that may have been passed on to people through an intermediate host is more likely.

Scientists associate the emergence of a new type of virus with the so-calledwet marketin Wuhan, where wild animals (both live and their meat) are traded illegally, which are prized for due to its culinary or medical properties. In such stalls, cramped cages with live animals stand on top of each other, animals mutilate each other, give their feces on each other - in such conditions all pathogens are very easily transmitted, also to humans. Theintermediate hostmust have appeared at the Wuhan market. Today it is difficult to find out what it was - one thesis says that it could have beenpangolin(also calledpangolin), which is the most trafficked mammal in the world, as it is considered a rarity.

Read more about it>>>

When did SARS CoV-2 coronavirus arrive in Poland?

The first official case of coronavirus infection was recorded in PolandMarch 4 , on March 10, the government decided to cancel all mass events, from March 12, schools and shops were closed in turn (apart from pharmacies and food) and state borders and introduced the so-calledlockdown(ban on leaving the house except for essential purposes such as work or shopping) which lasted several months. At the end of March, 2,000 coronavirus infections were recorded in Poland.

What are the symptoms of the coronavirus?

Symptoms of COVID-19, a disease caused by the coronavirus, are very easy to confuse with the common cold or flu, especially when it is mild. We can be absolutely sure whether we are dealing with a coronavirus or another pathogen only after performing a coronavirus test.

Coronavirus has an estimated incubation period offrom 5 to 14 days , typically around a week.

Here isthe most commonsymptoms of coronavirus:

  • fever
  • dry cough (also known as covid cough)
  • extreme fatigue

Less frequentoccurring symptoms:

  • muscle pain
  • sore throat
  • diarrhea
  • conjunctivitis
  • headache
  • loss of taste or smell
  • skin rash
  • discoloration of fingers and toes

In approximately 80% of patients the infection ends at this stage, unfortunately 20% develop into a much more serious form - pneumonia, and some develop acute respiratory failure. This state already requires the administration of oxygen, and sometimes even connection to a ventilator.

According to scientists in "Nature Reviews Deseace Primers", respiratory failure ends in death more or less in30-40%of the most severe cases, as these people develop multi-organ failure . On average, death occurs between14 and 19 days after infection .

Patients who even recovered from critical condition had permanent lung damage.

People who contracted COVID-19 left the hospital on average after3 weeks . In severe cases, however, it may take up to six months to recover, and in some patients the lungs, heart and even brain are permanently damaged.

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How is SARS CoV-2 coronavirus transmitted?

SARS CoV-2 coronavirus is mainly transmittedby airborne droplets : through coughing, sneezing and even talking. Scientists have shown that the virus is present in the aerosol exhaled by humans and can spread over a distance of up to several meters (for example, when sneezing or coughing).

This virus can also be transmitted bytouch- through dirty hands or objects that have been touched by people infected with the coronavirus. If we touch such a contaminated object, it is very easy to transfer the virus to the vicinity of the eyes or mouth, and this is a simple path to infection.

See how much the coronavirus can survive on different surfaces>>>

How to protect yourself against the coronavirus?

The best way to protect yourself from the SARS CoV-2 coronavirus is:

  • wearing a mask covering the nose and mouth
  • social distancing ( minimum 1.5m )
  • frequent hand washing or disinfection
  • avoiding the crowd
  • avoiding people who cough and sneeze and are clearly sick
  • disinfection of surfaces and everyday objects that we most often touch (e.g. phone)
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Who is most at risk of severe coronavirus infection?

Scientists at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic noticed a correlation between higher patient mortality and certain chronic diseases. They are what is referred to in the context of COVID-19 as "comorbidities". Statistics show that among the diseases that predispose patients to the severe course of the coronavirus are:

  • hypertension
  • diabetes
  • ischemic heart disease
  • atrial fibrillation
  • kidney failure
  • dementia
  • PoChP
  • cancer in the last 5 years
  • heart failure
  • obesity
  • respiratory failure

The elderly are also more exposed (mainlyover 65 ) - mortality increases drastically among seniors, which does not mean, of course that young people do not die from the coronavirus either. According to doctors, some of them experience the so-called cytokine storm, i.e. the body's excessive response to inflammation in the body.

Statistics also show that because ofSARS CoV-2 coronavirus infections are more likely to diemen than women .

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Coronavirus - treatment

Unfortunately, so far there is neither a vaccine for the coronavirus, nor an effective drug. With mild symptoms, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are used. Theisolation of the patientis also crucial. In more severe cases,hospitalizationof the patient is required, sometimes oxygen therapy and connection to a respirator.

There are currently several types ofsupportive therapiesthat can be used to treat the coronavirus:

  • corticosteroid therapy (used to reduce the severity of the inflammatory response that can lead to acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome),
  • immunosuppressants,
  • immunoglobulin therapy.

In people who developed the so-called a cytokine storm, doctors may use an immunosuppressant to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

The blood plasma of people who have overcome SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection and developed specific antibodies-immunoglobulins may also be effective in the treatment of COVID-19.

Coronavirus - range and mortality

7 months after the pandemic was announced, the coronavirus has spread to almost the entire world: according to WHO statistics, it has spread to 235 countries, over40 million people have been infected with it , and have diedover a million(but these are official data, there are many indications that many countries do not have reliable statistics on this subject).

As for the coronavirus mortality rate, it has varied around the world andhas changed over time . In the worst period of the epidemic in Lombardy (Italy), it even reached9 percent . In mid-October, this indicator for the whole world was2.8%( although remember that the statistics do not include all victims). In August 2022, the mortality in Poland was approx.3.4% , and in mid-October -2.03% .

The current number of cases and deaths in Poland can be found here>>>

Statistics on the coronavirus in the world are available on the map below:

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COVID 19