SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus – a glossary of terms worth knowing

The coronavirus cases spreading around the world are worrying, and the numerous scientific concepts repeated in the media can be confusing. What is SARS-CoV-2 and what is COVID-19? How is an epidemic different from a pandemic? We present the most important issues related to the coronavirus.

What is the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus?

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the name of a pathogen belonging to the coronaviruses, i.e. the group of RNA viruses. Various examples of coronaviruses are known in medicine today because these pathogens cause some colds and respiratory diseases in humans and animals. While these conditions can be mild, certain types of coronaviruses cause severe conditions in some patients. An example is SARS disease (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), caused by the SARS-CoV virus.

As for the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it is a newly discovered pathogen that, from a biological point of view, has a lot in common with the aforementioned SARS-CoV virus. Initially, SARS-CoV-2 was called Wuhan coronavirusbecause it was in this Chinese city that the first cases of infection were diagnosed.

What is COVID-19?

COVID-19 is the name for a respiratory disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. The main symptoms of the disease are fever, dry cough and difficulty breathing (dyspnea), fatigue and muscle aches are also common. Other symptoms, including diarrhea, sore throat and runny nose, also appear less frequently. These symptoms vary in severity from patient to patient. In some cases, the infection develops practically asymptomatic.

The disease COVID-19 has a mild course of about 80 percent. sick – the symptoms are then not severe and resemble a cold. In the remaining 20 percent. cases, the course of the disease is severe and the risk of complications in the form of pneumonia, acute respiratory failure or sepsis is increased. Such complications pose a particular risk to the elderly, suffering from chronic diseases or immunodeficiencies. Currently, statistics show that the death rate due to COVID-19 is about 2-3 percent.

What does the coronavirus test look like?

In order to detect infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, it is necessary to conduct complex molecular tests. The most important information for the patient is the type of sample – nasopharyngeal swabs are used for the test, as well as blood or feces. The analysis of the collected material is carried out in people suspected of being infected with the virus.

Work is underway to introduce rapid stripe tests that would enable the initial detection of anti-coronavirus antibodies. However, the basis of diagnostics is still PCR testing carried out in laboratories, i.e. with the use of the polymerase chain reaction. The waiting time for the results of such tests is several to several hours. Despite the high accuracy of the PCR method, there are cases of false positives. Therefore, the test may need to be repeated.

Read more: What does coronavirus diagnosis look like?

What is a pandemic, how is it different from an epidemic?

Epidemic and pandemic are two concepts that are similar in meaning, which, however, should be distinguished due to the scale and scope of the phenomenon. We speak of an epidemic in a situation where in a specific area and at a specific time, an increased contraction of an infectious disease by the population is observed. What is important here is the intensity of the disease greater than in previous years (in a similar time period) or the appearance of a previously unknown disease in a given area.

The definition of a pandemic is slightly different. In this case, the significant spread of the pathogen is of key importance. A pandemic can therefore be defined as an epidemic of an infectious disease that affects several countries at the same time – they can be countries on one continent or around the world. Usually, a pandemic is favored by the high contagiousness of the disease, as well as its asymptomatic nature at the initial stage of infection.

What is a quarantine and who may be in it?

Quarantine covers healthy people who have had contact with the sick or people suspected of being infected with an infectious disease. Quarantine recommendation it may also apply to people who returned to the country from high-risk regions. For the coronavirus, quarantine means staying at home for 14 days to reduce the risk of transmitting pathogens to other people. In the event of quarantine, you should not leave the apartment, follow the rules of hygiene and limit contact with other people.

A person under home quarantine is also required to report malaise and any disease symptoms indicating infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It should be done by phone, calling the nearest sanitary and epidemiological station or reporting to the infectious diseases ward.

What can and cannot be done during quarantine?

Due to the need to limit the spread of infectious diseases, a person in quarantine must follow top-down recommendations. In line with the recommendations of the Ministry of Health and the State Sanitary Inspection quarantined persons should:

1. follow the rules of hygiene, i.e. wash your hands often, do not touch the area of ​​the nose, mouth and eyes, when coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with the elbow bend or disposable tissue, and disinfect the surfaces you touch;
2. inform the health department about your health, immediately report any deterioration in your well-being;
3. notify the employer that you are quarantined.

During the quarantine, you cannot leave the place where you are. This means staying in the apartment and not meeting other people or keeping a distance of at least 1-1,5 meters.

What is insulation and when is it used?

Isolation is used in people who have an infectious disease without exacerbating their symptoms. In case of a mild form of the disease without hospitalization, you can stay at home and be treated with available funds. During isolation – as in the case of quarantine – you must not leave the house. Contact with healthy people should also be limited to the necessary minimum (keeping an appropriate distance). In the event of deterioration of health and exacerbation of symptoms, hospitalization in the infectious diseases ward becomes necessary.

What is an Epidemic Emergency?

An epidemic emergency is a top-down regulation issued by the minister of health in order to prevent the spread of the disease. It may be accompanied by specific restrictions and orders regarding, for example:

1. the way you move;
2. organizing gatherings and shows;
3. functioning of workplaces and institutions (e.g. remote work);
4. performing sanitary procedures.

The introduction of an epidemic threat in Poland due to the coronavirus epidemic is the result of the spread of the pathogen in many provinces.

Read more:

1. Coronavirus in Poland. Epidemic emergency – what is it?
2. How do viruses spread? The most common mistakes
3. How does the coronavirus attack the body? The scientists answer