Page 387 - Primary Six Notes

How did the coronavirus start?

 The first case of COVID-19 was reported Dec. 1, 2019, and

the cause was a then-new coronavirus later named SARS-
CoV-2.

 SARS-CoV-2 may have originated in an animal and changed

(mutated) so it could cause illness in humans too. In the

past, several infectious disease outbreaks have been traced

to viruses originating in birds, pigs, bats and other animals

that mutated to become dangerous to humans as well.

Time taken for one to become sick (incubation time)

 Symptoms show up in people within two to 14 days of expo-

sure to the virus.

 A person infected with the coronavirus is contagious to oth-

ers for up to 2 days before symptoms appear, and they re-

main contagious to others for 10 to 20 days, depending upon

their immune system strength and the severity of their ill-

ness.

What are symptoms of coronavirus?

COVID-19 symptoms include any of or a combination of:

 Cough smell

 Fever or chills  Headache

 Shortness of breath or diffi-  Sometimes a person feels

culty breathing weak

 Muscle or body aches  Nausea or vomiting

 Sore throat  Congestion or runny nose

 Sometimes loss of taste or