Coronavirus Fact vs Fiction

We have been inundated by the media with news, opinions, facts, and misinformation on Covid-19. The coronaviruses of which Covid-19 is a part of can cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Covid-19 was identified as the cause of a disease outbreak that originated in China, in November of last year. It is now a pandemic that has spread globally and is being extensively researched to determine who is at greatest risk, the symptoms, mode of transmission, provide testing and develop an effective vaccine. We will briefly review this disease and cite the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and World Health Organization (WHO) who in cooperation with international public health agencies are working to combat Covid-19. Reference documents from these agencies are cited in this review.   

We easily mistake a cold for the flu and vice versa. Also, some of us often assume that the flu affects us in similar fashion to Coronavirus because they are both viruses. Even though each disease is transmitted by a virus, there symptoms are different. We have developed vaccines for various strains of the flu and over time, we have acquired a certain level of natural immunity to these various flu strains. Covid-19 is a new unknown virus that is difficult to treat because of its relatively short existence within the human population.