The article has been automatically translated into English by Google Translate from Russian and has not been edited.

Twenty Important Facts Many Don't Know About Coronavirus Infection

'24.11.2020'

Source: RBC style

Scientists are still collecting information about the new coronavirus infection. But a significant amount of knowledge has already been accumulated. Almost a year ago, on December 1, 2019, the first case of infection with the new coronavirus, later called COVID-19, was recorded in China. The virus changes, as does the information about it. Now scientists are focusing on the following facts. "RBC style".

Photo: Shutterstock

# 1: COVID-positive patients are not contagious 10-11 days after symptoms start

The executive director of the National Center for Infectious Diseases of Singapore, Lao Yi Xin, said that a person with coronavirus ceases to be infectious 11 days after the onset of symptoms. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an update on infectiousness on October 19 - viral replication is significantly reduced by the tenth day from the onset of symptoms. In patients with mild to moderate severity, there is no virus after the tenth day of replication (multiplication). It can be observed in some patients with severe form for up to 20 days.

# 2: wearing masks can help contain the rate of increase in incidence

The compulsory wearing of a mask in public places has been introduced in 127 countries. According to experts from Johns Hopkins University, wearing a mask in public places inhibits the spread of coronavirus infection, in particular its transmission from people who are asymptomatic with COVID-19 and may not know about their COVID status. The mask helps to keep the discharge of the mucous membranes of the nose and throat, through which SARS-CoV-2 is transmitted from person to person. Controlling the rate of disease is critical to preventing the collapse of health systems.

# 3: the mortality rate from the new coronavirus is higher than from the flu

Scientists conclude that the mortality rate from the virus is higher than from seasonal flu. Between 0,3% and 1,5% of all cases of COVID-19 infection are fatal. According to WHO estimates, 290–650 thousand people die annually from seasonal influenza and related complications.

# 4: re-infection with coronavirus is possible

According to the head of Rospotrebnadzor Anna Popova, ten cases of re-infection with COVID-19 have been officially recorded in the world. The first was recorded in Hong Kong - a 33-year-old man received a positive COVID test 4,5 months after the first infection. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong said they looked at both patient samples (first and repeat) and found significant differences. The second time a man became infected after traveling to Spain, where, at the suggestion of scientists, he encountered a new strain that was circulating in Europe.

# 5: antibody titers in COVID-19 patients decrease in the first months after recovery

Several studies immediately indicate that antibodies produced during illness and the body's immune response significantly decrease or disappear within a few months or even weeks after recovery. Patients who have had the new coronavirus asymptomatically lose antibodies faster than those who have been sick in a more severe form. According to Areg Totolyan, director of the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology named after Pasteur, approximately 15–20% of those who recover will lose their antibodies. This raises doubts that COVID-19 leaves behind a robust immune defense. The hypothesis continues to be studied all over the world.

# 6: mass vaccination against coronavirus will not begin until mid-2021

These are the predictions of WHO spokesman Margaret Harris. According to the WHO as of October 19, 2020, 44 vaccines from manufacturers from around the world are in clinical trials. Ten vaccines are in the final third phase of clinical trials. None of the drugs have passed the full cycle of clinical trials, their safety and effectiveness have not yet been proven. It is currently possible to vaccinate against coronavirus only as part of clinical trials as a volunteer.

# 7: to acquire population immunity, 60% of the world's population needs to be ill

This is the collective opinion of the scientific community. The acquisition of population immunity is considered as one of the scenarios for the end of the pandemic. The bottom line is that when a large enough number of people already have immunity, the infection loses its distribution channels and outbreaks of the disease quickly subside. So, for the formation of collective immunity against measles, it is required that antibodies are produced in 95% of the population, against poliomyelitis - in 80%. However, the head of the WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said that it is unethical to wait until the majority of the population gets sick with COVID-19 and herd immunity should be achieved through vaccination.

# 8: children can transmit coronavirus

Scientists from Johns Hopkins University say infected children have as much COVID-19 viral genetic material in their upper respiratory tract as infected adults. A large amount of viral RNA in children does not prove that they are infectious. However, having a high viral load in infected children increases fears that they could easily pass the infection on to others, even without symptoms. At the same time, according to Alexei Agranovsky, professor of the Department of Virology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, children tolerate the disease more easily than adults.

On the subject: How to tell a cold from a mild COVID-19

# 9: doing a CT scan without coronavirus symptoms isn't advisable

According to the chief specialist in radiation and instrumental diagnostics of the Russian Ministry of Health, Professor Igor Tyurin, computed tomography of the chest does not solve the problem of diagnosing COVID-19. Only a PCR test can tell about the presence or absence of infection. It makes no sense to do CT scan for prophylaxis without symptoms of a respiratory infection (high fever and shortness of breath) and serious risk factors (severe diabetes, severe heart failure, severe excess weight). In Russia, the number of chest CT scans has increased, and the collective radiation dose has increased by half. Increasing the collective dose could potentially lead to radiation-induced diseases.

# 10: Mass Glove Mode Is Not Effective Against Coronavirus

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, wearing gloves is only advisable if you are caring for someone with COVID-19 at the moment or disinfecting a room after being sick. For everyone else, regular hand washing with soap or the use of antiseptics with an alcohol content of at least 60% is enough. The position of the Russian authorities regarding gloves is ambiguous: the chief freelance infectious disease specialist of the Russian Ministry of Health, Vladimir Chulanov, changed his opinion about the need to wear gloves in one day. At the moment, there are no recommendations on wearing gloves on the official portal of the Russian government about coronavirus.

No. 11: social distance works, but 1,5-2 m is not enough

Social distance continues to be a basic measure for preventing COVID-19 infection, according to WHO. However, Oxford University scientists have called the 2m distance recommendation outdated. Small particles of COVID-19 can travel up to 7-8 meters if an infected person coughs or screams. The choice of distance is influenced by a lot of factors: the type of action, internal and external conditions, the level of ventilation, the weather, the presence of masks on the faces.

# 12: there are four groups of people who don't make antibodies well

Head of NITsEM named after N.F. Gamalei Alexander Gunzburg named four groups of patients in whom antibodies are poorly produced. These include:

  • aged people;
  • those who abuse alcohol;
  • people who are constantly under stress;
  • those on statins (drugs that lower cholesterol) and anti-inflammatory drugs that affect cell proliferation (usually cancer patients).

No. 13: 22 coronavirus mutations recorded

Since the beginning of the pandemic, several thousand mutations of the coronavirus have been discovered in the world. Of these, 22 have been fixed and are stably inherited. These mutations occurred in the period from January to March. The WHO notes that the virus is changing, but not becoming more aggressive.

No. 14: identified risk factors for death from COVID-19

Scientists in the UK have published a study where they called kidney disease a factor that more than doubles the risk of death from coronavirus infection. The second aggravating factor is the academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the general director of the National Medical Research Center. V.A. Almazova Evgeny Shlyakhto calls obesity. According to him, in obese patients, the risk of a severe course of coronavirus infection increases sevenfold, and the risk of death - ninefold. In addition, Shlyakhto also calls vitamin D deficiency an unfavorable factor.

# 15: the coronavirus pandemic does not prevent seasonal flu vaccinations

According to the University of Liverpool, successive flu and coronavirus infections significantly increase the risk of death. Therefore, in the absence of a proven effective and safe vaccine for COVID-19, the importance of seasonal influenza vaccination is increasing. Infectionist, Doctor of Medical Sciences Nikolai Malyshev speaks about the need to get vaccinated against influenza in order to avoid a severe combination of diseases.

No. 16: the first blood group is the most resistant to coronavirus

According to a study by Aarhus University and the University of Southern Denmark, people with the first blood group are less susceptible to infection with the new coronavirus. The risk of contracting COVID-19 in people with the first blood group is 13% lower than in other people. At the same time, employees at Harvard Medical School say that blood type is not associated with the severity of symptoms in people who test positive for COVID-19.

# 17: dexamethasone is recognized as the only drug proven to be effective against COVID-19

WHO head Tedros Ghebreyesus called the corticosteroid dexamethasone the only effective therapeutic agent against COVID-19 in patients with severe disease. In the interim results of a study of dexamethasone for the treatment of coronavirus, Gebreyesus noted that "the administration of dexamethasone reduced mortality by one third among patients on mechanical ventilation and by one fifth among patients requiring oxygen therapy."

On the subject: Help another and don't forget about yourself: how not to get infected if there is a COVID-19 patient in the house

# 18: remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, ritonavir, and interferon-alpha drugs are ineffective in treating coronavirus

The international clinical study Solidarity, initiated by WHO to find an effective therapy for the treatment of COVID-19, showed that the drugs that were pinned on - remdesivir, hydroxychloroquine, ritonavir and interferon-alpha drugs, do not reduce mortality from coronavirus. For example, data on the drug remdesivir, which was registered in Russia in October: among patients taking remdesivir, 301 deaths were recorded per 2743 people, and among patients who did not take remdesivir, 303 deaths were recorded per 2708 patients. Medicines with the active substance favipiravir, released into free circulation in Russia, according to international studies, are also not effective in the fight against coronavirus and, in addition, have severe side effects.

No. 19: all COVID-19 patients will need rehabilitation

The chief rehabilitation therapist of Russia, Professor Galina Ivanova said that “rehabilitation is needed for all patients, regardless of the presence and severity of their impaired functions. But it will be especially needed by patients who have had an infection in moderate and severe forms. " First of all, the functions of the lungs are disturbed, or rather, their ability to take oxygen from the air and transfer it further to all organs.

No. 20: “long-term COVID” can last for several months

Specialists from the National Institutes of Health in Great Britain said that even after recovery, people can still experience the effects of the virus for a very long time. This phenomenon has been called the protracted COVID. Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, hair loss, and a prolonged inability to taste and smell can become companions of COVID-19 patients for a long time. The authors of the study from King's College London, using the COVID Symptom Study app, in which COVID-positive patients regularly record their symptoms and well-being, found that older people, women and those who had more illness in the first week of the disease are more susceptible to prolonged COVID. all expressed symptoms. You can download the application in the App Store and Google Play.

The material is published for informational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice and does not replace medical advice. ForumDaily Woman is not responsible for any diagnosis made by the reader based on the site's materials, as well as for the consequences of self-medication, and may not share the point of view of the author or expert.

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