A lot of friends and family have been asking me to help them sort out the facts and fiction when it comes to the COVID-19 virus.
What do we know?
We know the coronavirus. The coronavirus has been with us for a long time. In fact, most of your colds are probably caused by a coronavirus. The strain 19 is new, but the family of the virus all tend to have a lot of the same characteristics.
What symptoms does COVID-19 cause?
- 80% are mild, which includes cough, sore throat, and congestion.
- 20% are a little more serious, which includes shortness of breath and pneumonia.
- 2% mortality. While 2% sounds like a lot, it’s in the immunocompromised population, meaning underlying illness, treated or not. Keep in mind, as people age, they become more immunocompromised by definition. Like most things in our older bodies, the immune system doesn’t work as well as we age.
How is it transmitted?
COVID-19 is transmitted through airborne droplets.
