Coronavirus
Updated on March 17, 2020.
What is the New Coronavirus Disease?
The New Coronavirus Disease, designated COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, is an infectious disease. A study of the samples taken from patients has led experts to conclude on 7 January that the virus causing the disease is of the Coronavirus family, as in the SARS (2002) and MERS (2012) outbreaks, and the virus was designated as the New Coronavirus 2019 (2019-nCoV)
Is the New Coronavirus Disease dangerous?
Compared to the mortality rates of the SARS and MERS outbreaks in the past, this disease currently has a relatively low mortality rate of 2%. Data suggests that the virus is more likely to cause severe illness in advanced age and in people who have an accompanying disease (such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease). The disease progresses relatively mildly in young and healthy adults.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
The incubation period is the period after which the symptoms and effects of the disease manifest once the virus has entered the body. The New Coronavirus is known to cause suddenly onsetting symptoms of high fever (37.6 °C), coughing and shortness of breath following an incubation period of 2 to 14 days. Some patients have also exhibited symptoms of sore throat and nasal congestion. In severe cases, lung infections, severe acute respiratory infections and renal failure can be seen.
High Fever (37.6 °C)
Coughing
Shortness of Breath Following
Throat and Nasal Congestion
How does the virus spread?
The virus infects mainly through the inhalation of the small respiratory droplets that are generated upon the coughing and sneezing of infected individuals. It can also infect when hands are brought without washing into contact with the face, eyes, nose or mouth after touching surfaces polluted with droplets from infected individuals. Touching the eyes, nose or mouth with dirty hands increases the risk.
How can we protect ourselves from the virus?
No vaccine has yet been developed against the virus, and therefore, the basic principles for avoiding acute respiratory tract infections also apply to the New Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Please make sure you take the following precautions recommended against all respiratory tract viruses, including 2019-nCoV.
- Hand hygiene should be ensured. Hands should be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. When soap is unavailable, alcohol-based hand antiseptics should be used. There is no need to use special soaps that contain antiseptic and antibacterial agents. Normal soap is sufficient.
- Hands should not be brought in contact with the mouth, nose and eyes without washing.
- Contact with infected individuals should be avoided, including those infected with the seasonal flu. In the physical proximity of such individuals, a distance of at least 1.5 meter should be kept whenever possible.
- Hands should be washed frequently, particularly after direct contact with people suffering from illness and their environments.
Hands hould be washed with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Hands should not be brought in contact with the mouth, nose and eyes without washing.
Contact with infected individuals should be avoided, including those infected with the seasonal flu.
People suffering from viral respiratory tract infections are advised to cover their mouth and nose with disposable paper tissues while coughing and sneezing.
Where can I find more information?
You can find the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding the outbreak at the links below.
This information given on this page is developed based on the announcements and regulatory notices from the Ministry of Health’s Covid-19 website.