Facts & Figures – COVID-19 Journal

COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the virus known as Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus, meaning humans do not have immunity to the virus from prior exposure.

The virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person, between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
The virus is spread through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
Those droplets can land and survive on various surfaces including cardboard for up to 24 hours, plastic for up to 2 days, and stainless steel for up to 3 days.
The virus is not known to be airborne and cannot be spread by simply being in the same room as an infected individual.
COVID-19 can be spread by pre-symptomatic individuals.

The most commonly reported symptoms include fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath.
Illness severity is associated with age (>60) and co-morbid illness (ie, underlying health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and diabetes).
According to a WHO Situation Report, most patients (80%) experience mild illness, approximately 14% experience severe disease, and 5% can become critically ill.

There is currently no known treatment for COVID-19 but testing of medications continues to be fast-tracked.
Early evidence (not yet proven or approved to treat COVID-19) suggests that the combination of hydroxychloroquine (an anti-malaria drug) and azithromycin (an antibiotic) may be effective against COVID-19.
Oxygen therapy via lung ventilation is the major treatment intervention for patients with severe COVID-19.

There is currently no vaccine to prevent COVID-19.
The best way to prevent COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to the virus.
According to the CDC, the most effective self-protection techniques are hand-washing for more than 20 seconds, the use of hand sanitizes with 60% or greater alcohol content, and avoiding touching your hands to your face.
In addition to practicing good self-hygiene, social distancing can slow the spread of COVID-19 in the community.
Social distancing primarily means staying at home (self isolation). If you must leave your home, maintain a 6 foot distance from other people and avoid large gatherings.
If you feel sick, do not leave your house unless it is an emergency. Contact your doctor for medical guidance.

The R0 (measure of contagiousness) of COVID-19 is 2-3, meaning one individual is likely to infect 2-3 additional individuals on average.
In the absence of mitigation efforts like social distancing, cases can be expected to double every 6 days
The median incubation period (the amount of time between infection and first symptoms) is 5 days, and more than 98% of patients show symptoms by 11.5 days.
Case fatality rates range from 0.25% (2.5/1000) – 3% (30/1000) with lower range estimates likely to be closer to the true rate.