We are living in a time when the world is a little bit scary. Though this is scary we all have to stay informed and make sure we all stay safe. But you may be wondering what is the coronavirus also known as COVID-19. You may also want more information on coronaviruses. What are some of the actions you should be doing to keep you and your family safe? This article will attempt to answer all the questions that you have about COVID-19 ranging from symptoms and what you should be doing to stay safe.

Let’s start off by answering, what is COVID-19. COVID-19 comes from a large family of illnesses called coronaviruses. Some of these are Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). We have learned these diseases are zoonotic. That means they can be transmitted between humans and animals.

Now that we know what type of illness we are dealing with, let’s narrow down the symptoms you should look out for. First off you may not feel the symptoms until 2-14 days after getting it. This is one of the reasons COVID-19 is scary. You may have a fever developing which is one symptom. You may feel a shortness of breath or maybe experiencing a cough. Though if you start having difficulty breathing/shortness of breath, persistent pain/pressure in the chest, or bluish lips or face then seek immediate medical care. People that have a high risk of getting seriously ill are older adults, people with heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes. 

How is it transmitted? Well, there are many ways that it could be transmitted. One such way is coming in contact with someone that may have it. If you believe someone is sick then stay at least 6 feet away from that person. As said you may not feel the symptoms and still be sick. So you may come in contact with someone that’s sick and get it. Another way is by touching an area that a sick person has also touched. It can spread from respiratory droplets that are formed from coughing and sneezing.

The most important thing is how to keep you and your family safe. Lets hit the basics, do not touch your face, eyes, mouth, or nose. As I said it is possible that you could get it by touching an item a sick person touched. If you think you have done this then you should immediately wash your hands. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and water. If soap is not available to you then you can use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. 

Practice social distancing, I would try and stay 7-9 feet away from people if you can. Following the theme of keeping away from people. If you are sick then do not leave your home. This will keep you from getting others sick. If you have to leave for any reason then you should wear a face mask. This will keep you from spreading the disease around by coughing or sneezing. In general, if you have to cough or sneeze do it in your elbow so now germs are spread. You should also disinfect items that you use frequently like your phones, desks, and tables. 

I know that this is a very scary time to be living in. That doesn’t mean we need to act like it is the apocalypse. Take a minute and breath, stay calm. When we keep a level head we can think better and plan better. If you get scared by something on the news, just breathe and get to a calm state. Then think of a plan on what you need to do and how to stay safe. Right now is when we need to stay the most informed as it will allow us to better our future.