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As a result, COVID-19 very quickly spread to countries worldwide, giving rise to a multiyear pandemic that resulted in millions of deaths. A report in The Lancet on 24 January indicated human transmission, strongly recommended personal protective equipment for health workers, and said testing for the virus was essential due to its “pandemic potential”. Later official data shows 6,174 people had already developed symptoms by then, and more may have been infected. Available evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was originally harboured by bats, and spread to humans multiple times from infected wild animals at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan in December 2019.

Treatment guidelines

Various case-control and population-based studies have also shown that increased levels of masking in a community reduces the spread of SARS-CoV-2, though there is a paucity of evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). By December 2020, more than 10 billion vaccine doses had been preordered, with about half of the doses purchased by high-income countries comprising 14% of the world’s population. The Australian-based medical journal Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health estimated that between 14.4 and 19.8 million deaths were prevented by the vaccine. The COVID‑19 vaccines are widely credited for their role in reducing the spread of COVID‑19 and reducing the severity and death caused by COVID‑19. Without a vaccine, other prophylactic measures, or effective treatments, a key part of managing COVID‑19 is trying to decrease and delay the epidemic peak, known as “flattening the curve”.

People remain contagious for up to 20 days and can spread the virus even if they do not develop symptoms. Some people experience persistent symptoms (long COVID), for months or years after infection, including fatigue, cognitive issues and shortness of breath. On average it takes 5–6 days from when someone is infected with the virus for symptoms to show, however it can take up to 14 days.

In Europe as of February 2020, 57% of the infected people were men and 72% of those died with COVID‑19 were men. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported preliminary estimates of age-specific IFRs for public health planning purposes. At an early stage of the pandemic, the World Health Organization reported estimates of IFR between 0.3% and 1%. A key metric in gauging the severity of COVID‑19 is the infection fatality rate (IFR), also referred to as the infection fatality ratio or infection fatality risk.

• In the context of WHO’s statistical reporting of COVID-19 data, it is important to note that only confirmed cases are included in case and death counts.
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• COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, reshaped societies, tested healthcare systems, and reminded humanity of its fragility and interconnectedness.

Some infected people never showed symptoms, while others developed life-threatening illness. COVID-19 vaccines, which became available in late 2020, are highly effective in protecting against severe illness and in limiting the spread of the disease; immunity can be further bolstered through subsequent booster doses of vaccine. Some COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized further develop neurological symptoms, including severe fatigue and altered consciousness.

Face masks and respiratory hygiene

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Diagnosis: Unmasking the Virus

Traces of the virus have been found in wastewater samples that were collected in Milan and Turin, Italy, on 18 December 2019. The US intelligence community has mixed views on the issue, but overall agrees with the scientific consensus that the virus was not developed as a biological weapon and is unlikely to have been genetically engineered. A minority of scientists and some members of the U.S intelligence community believe the virus may have been unintentionally leaked from a laboratory such as the Wuhan Institute of Virology. One study made with the support of the European Union found climate change increased the likelihood of the pandemic by influencing distribution of bat species. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change several social and environmental factors including climate change, natural ecosystem destruction and wildlife trade increased the likelihood of such zoonotic spillover. A phylogenetic algorithm analysis suggested that the virus may have been circulating in Guangdong before Wuhan.

Seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms. It is important to practice respiratory etiquette, for example by coughing into a flexed elbow, and to stay home and self-isolate until you recover if you feel unwell. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols.

Some projections have estimated that reduced TB detection due to the pandemic could result in 6.3 million additional TB cases and 1.4 million TB-related deaths by 2025. COVID‑19 also poses a greater risk to people who misuse opioids and amphetamines, insofar as their drug use may have caused lung damage. Most of those who die of COVID‑19 have pre-existing (underlying) conditions, including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. The source attributes it to disproportionately high rates of many health conditions that may put them at higher risk as well as living conditions like lack of access to clean water. According to a US health policy non-profit, 34% of American Indian and Alaska Native People (AIAN) non-elderly adults are at risk of serious illness compared to 21% of white non-elderly adults. As of April 2020, the US government is not tracking sex-related data of COVID‑19 infections.