Stay Home, Stay Safe Everyone!
- Admin
- Mar 28, 2020
- 5 min read
The coronavirus outbreak, which began in China, keeps evolving at a dizzying speed. With the global case toll rising steeply, face masks flying off store shelves, borders around the world closing, and meetings, cruise itineraries, and the global economy upended by the virus, it’s no wonder questions and fears are swirling about Covid-19, as the disease is known.
Spread of the virus and the slow rollout of testing mean reported case numbers are changing quickly. Meanwhile, outbreaks have been surging in South Korea, Italy, and Iran. With the new virus continuing its tour around the world, here are answers to your most burning questions. 1) What is this new coronavirus (Novel Coronavirus), and where did it come from? Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that typically attack the respiratory system. The name comes from the Latin word corona, for crown, and the ancient Greek korōnè, meaning garland or wreath, because of the spiky fringe encircling these viruses. Most coronaviruses infect animals, such as bats, cats, and birds. Only seven, including Covid-19, SARS, and MERS, are known to infect humans.
SARS is thought to have evolved from infecting bats to civet cats to humans in China; MERS evolved from bats to camels to humans in the Middle East. No one knows precisely where Covid-19 came from, though a leading hypothesis is that bats were once again the original source: They spread the virus to another animal species, possibly a pangolin, where it jumped to humans.
Coronaviruses owe their name to the crown-like projections, visible here under a microscope, that encircle the capsid.
2) What are the symptoms and death rate? Two of the seven coronaviruses that infect humans, SARS and MERS, can cause severe pneumonia and even death in 10 and more than 30 percent of cases, respectively. But others lead to milder symptoms, like a common cold. The most common symptoms of Covid-19 are fever and dry cough.
People may experience:
Cough
Fever
Difficulty breathing (severe cases)
No one knows the precise incubation period for the virus, but symptoms can show up anywhere from one day to two weeks after exposure, according to a WHO report on China’s response. At the moment, we know Covid-19 can cause pneumonia and that it too can kill — but while it seems to be less deadly than SARS and MERS, it’s not yet clear by precisely how much.
The researchers also discovered a huge variation in the case fatality rate by age group. In short, the virus appears to be deadlier in people with each passing decade. You can see the trend in this graph:
3) What should I do if I think I have Covid-19? If you’re in a high-risk group — over the age of 60 with an underlying health condition — seek medical treatment immediately, and let your hospital or health care provider know you suspect Covid-19 before showing up. Otherwise, stay at home and call a health professional
4) How do coronaviruses spread? We don’t yet know exactly how SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes the Covid-19 disease — spreads, but we do have a lot of data on how MERS, SARS, and other respiratory viruses move from person to person. And that’s mainly through exposure to droplets from coughing or sneezing.
Person-to-person contact seems to be the main method of transmission of the novel coronavirus.
Transmission typically occurs when: Someone with the virus sneezes or coughs on you, leaving respiratory droplets on your skin or clothing, or you touch someone who has the virus on their skin or clothing. You then touch your face, which gives the virus an entry point via your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Malaysia had more than 2.1 thousand confirmed cases of COVID-19, and 26 deaths from the virus. Malaysia currently has the highest number of coronavirus infections in Southeast Asia. The spike in cases was linked to a mass religious event in the country, attended by around 12.5 thousand participants, including those from neighboring Brunei, Indonesia and Singapore. In response to the sudden increase in cases, Malaysia had imposed a lockdown of the country, starting on March 18.
As of 27 March 2020, there were 130 new cases with 44 new recoveries and 2 new deaths, bringing the tally to 2,161 confirmed cases, 259 recovered cases and 26 confirmed deaths.
Beginning from 15 March, Malaysia saw a significant jump in active cases. The Prime Minister of Malaysia held a live nationwide telecast on 16 March 2020 to announce the decision of the federal government in implementing the Movement Control Order. The order was to be in effect from 18 March until 31 March, however was extended till 14 April by 25 March. Based on the live addressing that evening, six restrictions have been imposed:
All worshiping locations and business premises should be closed except for supermarkets, public markets, grocery stores and convenience stores that sells everyday necessities.
For Muslims, all religious activities in mosques including Friday prayers are adjourned in line with decision made on 15 March 2020 by the Special Muzakarah Committee Meeting of the National Fatwa Council.
Malaysians returning from abroad are required to undergo health check and self-quarantine for 14 days.
Tourists and foreign visitors are restricted to enter the country.
Closure of all kindergartens, government and private schools, including daily schools, boarding schools, international schools, tahfiz centres and other primary, secondary and pre-university institutions.
Closure of all public and private higher education institution (IPTs) and skill training institutes.
Closure of all government and private premises except for essential services (water, electricity, energy, telecommunications, postal, transportation, irrigation, oil, gas, fuel, lubricants, broadcasting, finance, banking, health, pharmacy, fire, prison, port, airport, safety, defence, cleaning, retail and food supply)
"A time to unite and fight the battle together. Let's break the chain."
There is good in every crisis, and we must praise our heroic frontliners confronting Covid-19 head on. The doctors and nurses in emergency rooms, hospitals and clinics caring for our patients, officers on duty at airports and border entry points, the police and military for ensuring Malaysians adhere to the MCO. While we all face a long road ahead, I am sure this period will go down in history as a true testament of the Malaysian spirit. Remember, our forefathers fought for Malaysia to be our nation, to be free. Now it’s our turn to make sure our nation stays safe. Let’s ensure our children and grandchildren get a brighter future, free of Covid-19.
The CDC and the WHO recommend several basic measures to help prevent the spread of Covid-19:
Wash your hands often for at least 20 seconds.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects.
Stay home when you are sick.
Contact a health worker if you have symptoms; fever and a dry cough are most common.
DON’T touch your face.
Break the chain. Flatten the curve. Together we can do something. Stay safe, stay home and most importantly stay strong.
For latest world Covid-19 information :
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