Meaning of COVID-19 and Highlights of Associated Myth Busters


Meaning of COVID-19 and Highlights of Associated Myth Busters

          A reader of this blog recently asked to know the full meaning of COVID-19, saying he was confused that some persons called the current global pandemic ‘Coronavirus’ while others call it ‘COVID-19’.
          Being an interactive blog, but without any claim of medical expertise, let it be amplified here that the acronym COVID-19 stands for Corona Virus Disease of 2019.  The acronym was given by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a press conference on February 11, 2020.   The disease started in Wuhan, China, in the late part of 2019, and has since spread globally.
          Regarding the choice of the acronym COVID-19, the Director-General of WHO said that under agreed guidelines between WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, they had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease.
          All contemporary inhabitants of the earth need to be enlightened on how to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, as medical experts and pharmaceutical organisations are yet to come up with any cure or vaccine for the virus.  In this direction, and with the permission and encouragement given by the World Health Organisation, I highlight some COVID-19 myth busters hereunder, for general enlightenment and guidance:

You can recover from the coronavirus disease        (COVID-19). Catching the new coronavirus                  DOES NOT mean you will have it for life.

Most of the people who catch COVID-19 can recover and eliminate the virus                            from their bodies. If you catch the disease, make sure you treat your symptoms.                            If you have cough, fever, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early – but                          call your health facility by telephone first. Most patients recover thanks to                        supportive care.

Are there any specific medicines to prevent or              treat the new coronavirus?

To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new            coronavirus (2019-nCoV).
However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve                        and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized                    supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation, and will be                        tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and deve-                    lopment efforts with a range or partners.


The new coronavirus CANNOT be transmitted         through mosquito bites.

To date there has been no information nor evidence to suggest that the new                  coronavirus could be transmitted by mosquitoes. The new coronavirus is a                      respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when                                    an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge                      from the nose. To protect yourself, clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-                      based hand rub or wash them with soap and water. Also, avoid close contact with                anyone who is coughing and sneezing.




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