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PRECINCT LIVING

COPING WITH THE

CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC

It’s difficult to comment on the ravages

of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

because, every hour, conditions BY BERNARD BUYS
BY BEV HERMANSON
worldwide are changing. But let’s go
through some of the basics, to make he Coronavirus (COVID-19)
first made its presence
sure that you are up to speed with how to known in China, in
December 2019. The
cope with this outbreak. Tworldwide at such an
outbreak has since spread
alarming rate that it became imperative
for governments to declare lockdowns,
such as the one that we are going
through now.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
The main symptoms are:
-High temperature and fever
-Muscle pain and fatigue
-Dry cough.
However, one could also experience
a runny nose, sore throat, nasal
congestion, stomach cramps, diarrhea.

Although it’s reported that 80% of
the infections are mild (with flu-like
symptoms), allowing one to recover
at home, we don’t know specifically
which 80% of the community will be
ok. Up to 14% of the cases become
severe, progressing to pneumonia and
shortness of breath. The next 4 - 5%
become critical, and the remaining
1 – 2% of cases are fatal – with death
caused by respiratory failure, septic
shock, and multi-organ failure.
The risk of death increases the older
you are and especially if you have any
pre-existing illnesses such as:
cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
any chronic respiratory disease,
hypertension, cancer, HIV or any other
immuno-suppressive condition.
HOW LONG DO SYMPTOMS LAST?
Mild cases: approximately 2 weeks
Severe or critical cases: 3 - 6 weeks.
However, be aware that there’s an
incubation period of about 7 days before
the symptoms appear.

The virus is typically spread during
close contact with other people and
via respiratory droplets produced when

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