The number of people infected with the new coronavirus worldwide has surpassed 30 million, with more than 951,000 deaths recorded.

A previously unknown strain of coronavirus was identified in December 2019 in the Chinese province of Wuhan and subsequently began spreading rapidly across the globe. The World Health Organization declared the new coronavirus a global threat as early as January 30th of this year. On March 11th, given the scale of its spread and the severity of the disease, a pandemic was declared.

In the initial phase, various countries took stringent measures — closing borders and introducing universal quarantine. However, from the end of summer onward, the epidemiological situation worldwide began to deteriorate again, which was to be expected following the reopening of borders and the lifting of strict quarantine measures.

At this point, there is no vaccine against coronavirus. In order to adapt to life in conditions of the virus's continued existence, it is necessary to remain vigilant and strictly observe at least the minimum health recommendations.

How does COVID-19 spread?

The primary route of transmission of COVID-19 is airborne droplet transmission. Droplets containing the virus are dispersed into the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or speaks.

The main symptoms of the new coronavirus are fever, dry cough, difficulty breathing, and loss of smell and taste. In some cases, a sore throat, headache, runny nose, and diarrhea are also observed. However, the disease frequently runs an asymptomatic course. According to WHO data, fever is observed in 88% of Covid-infected individuals, while every sixth patient reports difficulty breathing.

What can COVID-19 cause?

The new coronavirus causes problems associated with damage to the respiratory tract. The virus can penetrate lung cells and damage their structure. The disease caused by this virus most often follows a mild course, but in a number of cases it can cause serious complications, which may ultimately prove fatal. In moderate and critical cases, pneumonia or acute respiratory distress syndrome may develop — a condition in which fluid accumulates in the lung's alveoli, leaving insufficient space for air, with the result that the circulatory system receives considerably less oxygenated blood. In such cases, mechanical ventilation and the administration of oxygen are required.

Elderly people and those with various chronic conditions — high blood pressure, diseases of the respiratory or cardiovascular systems, diabetes — are at greater risk of developing complications of various kinds in the event of coronavirus infection.

How does COVID-19 differ from seasonal flu?

From the very first appearance of the new coronavirus, it was erroneously equated with seasonal flu. Disinformation was also widely circulated claiming that more people supposedly die from flu than from coronavirus.

Both flu and coronavirus cause respiratory illness, and their symptoms are therefore similar. Both are transmitted by airborne droplets. Accordingly, the preventive measures are also similar — hand hygiene, wearing a mask, and social distancing.

Despite the similarities in how influenza and COVID-19 spread, the latter is more contagious. The coronavirus strain infects on average 2 to 2.5 people, while influenza infects 1.3. In addition to spreading faster and more easily, COVID-19 can cause more serious complications. The mortality rate from COVID-19 is also considerably higher. While in the case of seasonal flu it stands at 0.1%, in the case of COVID-19 it is 1% of total cases and 4% of completed cases. Unlike anti-influenza medications, no approved vaccine or treatment against COVID-19 yet exists, which makes the treatment process even more complex and has an impact on the mortality rate. At this stage the coronavirus pandemic is in its active phase, and it will only be possible to accurately calculate the mortality rate from the disease after it has ended.

The incubation period also differs. In the case of flu, symptoms begin to manifest within one to four days; in the case of COVID-19, the period ranges from two to fourteen days.

Furthermore, unlike flu, COVID-19 is characterized by loss of smell and taste.

Unlike influenza viruses, coronavirus infection requires a longer recovery period. Depending on the severity of the disease, several weeks may be needed — and in severe cases, even months.

Unlike influenza viruses, the new coronavirus is not characterized by seasonality. COVID-19 is a new infection caused by SARS-CoV-2, and a vaccine is therefore still in the process of development. According to WHO, work is currently continuing worldwide on 180 vaccine projects, 35 of which are already being tested on humans. Mass vaccination is expected to begin by mid-2021.

Russia claims to have already produced an antiviral vaccine and to begin vaccinating its population from October onward. However, a significant number of scientists consider its use to be risky, as the Russian vaccine was approved in significant violation of clinical trial protocols, with the third phase entirely skipped — the phase of large-scale trials on the basis of which conclusions about the efficacy and safety of any vaccine are drawn.

Basic recommendations for protection against COVID-19 infection:

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, or treat them with alcohol-based solutions.
• Try to avoid touching your face — your mouth, nose, and eyes. This is one of the routes by which the virus enters the body and causes infection.
• Maintain social distance from those around you — a minimum of 2 meters.
• Use masks in public places, enclosed spaces, and on public transport.
• Avoid crowded gatherings.

This material was prepared on the basis of data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Teona Absandze