Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : April 11, 2020 7:43 PM IST
Before you even realize that you are sick, you may pass it on to people who may be at higher risk of developing severe complications, which can sometimes be fatal. @Shutterstock
The COVID-19 pandemic has so far claimed 95,269 victims and infected 1,569,504 others across the world, according to the latest reports coming in from the World Health Organisation. The figures are alarmingly high and you are right to be apprehensive about the future. The entire world is trying desperately to contain the spread of this deadly virus. But so far nothing seems to work. In the middle of all these figures and projections, scientific studies and researchers on COVID-19, we seem to have ignored one very important thing about the disease. Did you know that almost 80 per cent of people who get COVID-19 will most probably experience only mild symptoms? Sounds reassuring, right? But this is where you are wrong.
All people with symptoms are carriers of the virus and they can spread it to whoever they come in contact with. But because of mild symptoms, you may not even realise that you have the virus. That's why the infection is such a threat. Before you even realize that you are sick, you may pass it on to people who may be at higher risk of developing severe complications, which can sometimes be fatal. That is why it is so important to know how to recognize the symptoms of this disease.
Symptoms of this disease can vary from people to people. It can range from pneumonia to loss of smell to no symptoms. But for many people, it starts with very mild flu-like symptoms. This can happen before you experience severe fever and coughing. Even these mild symptoms can take a toll on your health. You may feel unnaturally tired and lethargic with a cold and cough. But these mild symptoms may sometimes turn into severe complications if ignored. It can gradually or sometimes even suddenly progress to pneumonia and respiratory distress.
So, at times like this, even if you feel slightly run down, don't ignore it as you normally do. Get yourself tested. If the results come back positive, you will thank yourself for taking the trouble because you will not unknowingly spread the infection. Just quarantine yourself for 14 to 21 days. But if things take a turn for the worse during this period, seek immediate medical help. This is because the COVID-19 is unpredictable and things can quickly take a turn for the worse.
If you are young and healthy with no chronic health conditions, you will probably recover on your own. But others who may catch the infection from you may not be so lucky. So, if you test positive, don't panic. Think of where you may have got the infection and think of all the people you may have come in contact with. Give all relevant information to the authorities so that they can trace all of them and keep them under observation. This will help save a lot of lives.
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