The world is gripped in fear and uncertainty over the unprecedented spread of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and at the height of the global pandemic is a much deadlier threat — widespread misinformation.
Fake news can escalate the spread of coronavirus
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has partnered with mass media corporations in an effort to relay updated and accurate information on the need-to-knows of coronavirus.
Twitter and Facebook apps are tightening up security and screening all coronavirus-related content that is shared on their platforms in a bid to root out the fake news.
However, a quick search on each social media app will expose the cracks. Misinformation still finds its way to our timelines, making it all the more difficult to contain the spread of the virus.
On WhatsApp, chain messages have made their way to millions of people. Most of these contain unverified information on using herbal medicine to cure the virus and unadvised methods on how you can prevent it,
While some of us are well-informed about coronavirus, many people are vulnerable to these scams and the fake news only heightens the chances of the virus spreading worldwide and infecting millions.
So, what is it that we need to discard as false and whereabout is the truth? In this article, we will take a dive into the numbers shared by WHO on the spread of coronavirus. In the end, we will have a clearer picture of the virus’ impact and a better understanding of the best practices for avoiding infection.
Coronavirus facts: This is the truth about COVID-19
How does coronavirus spread?
According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coronavirus is still a new disease and global health experts are still learning about “how it spreads, the severity of illness it causes, and to what extent it may spread”.
One thing is for sure, though, person-to-person transmission seems to be the only way COVID-19 spreads. The CDC states that the virus is thought to spread:
- between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 1.83m);
- through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes; and
- it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes, but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.
The CDC has also tagged COVID-19 as a virus that spreads easily and sustainably in the community environment. In other words, coronavirus is spreading continually without stopping.
What are the latest global infection figures?
The latest actual figures as per WHO’s Situation Report 48 of Sunday 8 March, state that the global infections stand at 105 586.
While China has seen a decrease in its daily infections, the republic still recorded 46 new cases in the 24 hours between Saturday 7 March and Sunday.
Globally, in 101 countries, 3610 new cases were reported. The WHO has pleaded with countries to actively participate in implementing robust containment and control initiatives to slow the spread of coronavirus.
“China and other countries are demonstrating that spread of the virus can be slowed and impact reduced through the use of universally applicable actions, such as working across society to identify people who are sick, bringing them to care, following up on contacts, preparing hospitals and clinics to manage a surge in patients, and training health workers.
“WHO calls on all countries to continue efforts that have been effective in limiting the number of cases and slowing the spread of the virus,” the statement read.
What is the current COVID-19 death toll?
WHO’s risk assessment places the likelihood of contracting COVID-19 very high, on a global scale. Consequently, the total death toll in China currently stands at 3 100, 27 of which were recorded in 24 hours.
On a global scale, the coronavirus has killed 484 patients, 71 of which occurred between Saturday and Sunday.
How many patients have recovered?
This is the grey area, where most of the misinformation is born. Remember, coronavirus has an incubation period of about 14 days. This means that if you contract the virus, it may only show in two weeks. The symptoms are flu-like with mild-to-severe respiratory problems.
At this time, there is no accurate data on the total number of patients who have recovered from the virus. Any data released today would be two-to-three weeks old, according to renowned mathematician, Adam Kucharski.
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Kucharski, the mathematician said:
“The problem with just dividing the total number of deaths and total number of cases is that it doesn’t account for unreported cases or the delay from illness to death. The delay is crucial:
“If 100 people arrive at the hospital with Covid-19 on a given day, and all are currently still alive, it obviously doesn’t mean that the fatality rate is 0 percent. We need to wait until we know what happens to them eventually.”
Adam Kucharski, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Are older people at risk of dying if infected by coronavirus?
Much is still not known about the virus because of the delayed data collection systems.
However, based on the available information, a trend that has been noticed is that older people and those with respiratory problems {heart disease, tuberculosis and diabetes) are at greater risk of fatality.
Safety tips for avoiding infection
There is no vaccine available for COVID-19 as yet. This, however, does not mean that you can’t prevent the spread of the virus.
Based on best practices shared by WHO, here are safety tips on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus:
- Wash your hands frequently;
- Maintain social distancing (at least 1 metre between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing;
- Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth;
- Practice respiratory hygiene (his means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately);
- If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
- Stay informed and follow the advice given by your healthcare provider
If you have visited an area where coronavirus is spreading, immediately initiate the protocol listed above and:
- stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and slight runny nose, until you recover; and
- if you develop fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical advice promptly as this may be due to a respiratory infection or other serious condition.