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Image 2: Persistence of coronavirus on inanimate surfaces
(source: The Journal of Hospital Infections, Feb 2020) (4). Mild cases
• Symptoms include:
o Dry cough and moderate fever
o Common flu-like symptoms
including fatigue, malaise,
runny nose, nasal congestion
and sore throat
o Less frequently: diarrhoea,
nausea, vomiting, diffuse
abdominal pain, productive
cough, headache, muscle
and joint pains.
• Recovery time: 2 weeks.

severe cases
The following have been reported • Experience clinical deterioration
as the reasons why Cov 2 • 80% of infections are mild and/or develop complications in
(COvID-19) is very contagious: • 15% are severe, requiring oxygen the second week of the illness
• Asymptomatic individuals therapy (in hospital or at home) • Median time from onset of
are also contagious. • 5% are critical, requiring symptoms to escalation to critical
• Production of a large quantity of ventilation. care/transfer to ICU is 7 to 9 days
the virus particles (virions). • Patients develop severe shortness
• Efficient and prolonged shedding of With the pandemic still ongoing, it is of breath, high fever, chest
the virions from the upper respiratory clinically evident that the proportion pain, coughing up blood and
tract. viral shedding (production, release of severe and critical to mild cases is progressive respiratory failure.
and expulsion of virus particles from higher than in influenza infections. • Recovery time: 3-6 weeks
the infected person) can continue up
to six weeks after onset of symptoms. Asymptomatic cases common complications of
• It can remain infectious on surfaces • Can transmit the virus coVID-19
outside the host from a few hours • Represent at least more than • Viral/intestinal pneumonia
up to a few days. The virus span 50% of all infections (more • Acute respiratory distress
depends on the type of surface, studies on this are still ongoing) syndrome (ArDs)
temperature and humidity. • May resolve without any • Sepsis and septic shock
noticeable symptoms • Heart muscle inflammation
clinical Presentation • Altered or loss of smell and/ and heart rhythm disorders
The incubation period (time from or taste have been reported • Liver dysfunction
contracting infection to onset of • It is still not clear how long • Acute kidney injury
symptoms) for COvID-19 ranges from two asymptomatic individuals remain • Multi-organ failure
to 14 days, with an average of five days. contagious after initial infection.
Risk Factors
• Age above 65
Image 3: clinical presentation of coVID-19 (2). • Immunosuppression from, for
IMAgE By LECTurIO
example HIV/AIDS, chronic
steroid use, cancer, congenital
immunodeficiency
• Chronic medical conditions like
hypertension, chronic lung diseases,
chronic kidney diseases, heart
diseases, diabetes mellitus
• Pregnancy

Causes of death in COvID-19 infections
include progressive low oxygen
concentration, multi-organ failure,
and severe drop in blood pressure.