COVID-19 is a very aggressive virus and much more contagious than any other diseases we’ve seen in our lifetime. For perspective, check out this graph comparing the spread of SARS in 2002-2003 to COVID -19:
To date, there are over 162,000 cases of COVID-19 whereas the number of SARS cases was just over 8000.
People who are infected may be asymptomatic for up to about a week before developing symptoms. The most common symptoms are fever, cough and shortness of breath, but some people also have nasal congestion and loss of smell and taste. Once infected, the virus has been shown to replicate and shed for a median time of 20 days, with the longest documented period being 37 days.
Social distancing has proven to slow down the spread of infectious diseases, not only in past epidemics but also in the current COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative that we eliminate all non-essential social interaction to contain this virus. This means that until transmission starts to recede, we should refrain from dinner parties, play dates, birthday parties, restaurants, movies, beauty appointments, gym classes, air travel and other forms of mass transportation when possible. Spending time outdoors has been shown to boost the immune system. Take-out and delivery is preferable to eating in restaurants and should be safe as long as restaurants continue to follow normal sanitary guidelines. DoorDash just sent out an announcement that allows people to request a no-contact delivery.
Although certain segments of the population are at higher risk from experiencing complications from COVID-19, we are all at risk for becoming infected and spreading the virus. Please don’t assume that you aren’t at risk because you’re young and healthy. The majority of victims during Spanish flu of 1918-1919 were healthy adults between the ages of 20-40.
Should you suspect that you have the infection, we are able to test you at BreatheMD. Our typical protocol is to first test for strept and flu in the office; if both are negative, then we test for Covid-19. Currently results are taking 3-5 days. We may also order blood tests and/or a CT scan of the chest to help with the diagnosis. We advise anyone who suspects they have the virus to wear a mask in public. An N-95 mask is not necessary, and we have cloth masks with filters that protect against viruses available for sale at our office.
For up-to-date information on Covid-19, please refer to the World Health Organization website and the Harris County Health Department website.