By now you are probably very familiar with the word COVID19. And have heard various different opinions and may be confused as to what to believe.
Here are some basics of what you need to know. If you have an underlying medical problem such as cancer, diabetes or are immunocompromised and need direction on who to contact or what to do; contact us and we can help you navigate to the information and providers that you need. By now you are probably very familiar with the word COVID19. And have heard various different opinions and may be confused as to what to believe.
WHAT IS COVID19: The coronaviruses are a group of viruses. There are many different strains.
In December 2019, a new strain of Coronavirus was identified in China. The corona virus was thought to be contracted by a person from an animal while at a live animal market in Wuhu, China. Since then, it has rapidly spread. The coronavirus quickly became known as COVID19. In March of this year, the Word Health Organization characterized COVID19 a national pandemic. It is spreading rapidly and has affected people in all 50 US states and at least 166 countries.
Many Names: Some now refer to COVID19 as the Chinese virus. So whether you hear Corona virus, COVID19 or Chinese virus, it is all referring to the same virus.
How is it Spread: The virus was thought to be spread by respiratory droplets; which means it is spread from person to person by, droplets that are not seen by the human eye. The virus spreads in the air from one person to another. The droplet can get in the mouth or nose of individuals and further spread throughout the body. What’s more, the virus can live on different services for different lengths of time.
However, most recent research has supported the virus to be airborne-meaning it can be spread just by breathing in contaminated air (not requiring droplet contact). This update is important because it calls for more stringent measures to prevent spread.
The exact length of time the virus lives on various surfaces is not exactly known; but it is suspected that the virus can live on surfaces such as steel, plastic, and glass from 3 or more days.
Resources: A lot about this VIRUS is still a mystery, but every day we learn more. The following websites are great up-to-date information about the virus:
- Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/
- World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/
The primary goal of healthcare is to appropriately focus all efforts toward defeating this horrible virus.
This inevitably leaves many patients with other medical issues unaddressed. If you have a medical issue that you are having difficulty getting addressed to delayed access secondary to the focus on the COVID19 pandemic; we are here to help you navigate the appropriate path. Contact Pathway Patient Advocates: (248) 247-8552.