Jahnavi Sarma
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Written By: Jahnavi Sarma | Updated : April 24, 2020 9:56 PM IST
How does this disease spread and how has it infected people from across the globe so fast? This is one question that experts have been trying to answer since the virus showed its true colour. @Shutterstock
We are in the middle of a global pandemic and there seems to be no end in sight. The new strain of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 behaves in an unpredictable manner and keeps throwing up new challenges for scientists and health professionals. Experts and researchers across the globe are trying to come up with a vaccine and cure for the disease. But so far, they have been unsuccessful. However, many trials are going on in different parts of the world and experts are hopeful that a cure will be available in the market in a year's time.
There are many things that as yet unexplained about COVID-19. It was previously believed to be a severe and highly contagious respiratory ailment that causes pneumonia. But the gradually, new findings came to light. This virus also affects other body organs including the brain, intestines, heart, liver and the kidneys. New symptoms keep showing up almost every other day. Here, let us take a look at a few unexplained things about this virus. Since, this is an unknown variant of coronavirus, scientists have no data to fall back on. This is what makes the situation so baffling.
How does this disease spread and how has it infected people from across the globe so fast? This is one question that experts have been trying to answer since the virus showed its true colour. We know that the virus is passed on through droplets from coughing or sneezing. But now new reports say that farts can also contribute to the spread of the virus. Some experts also say that it can pass on via feces. So, there may be other modes of transmission that we are unaware of as yet. However, experts say that tears and semen do not transmit the disease. Moreover, scientists are also not sure of how long the virus survives on surfaces and they say that more research is needed on the subject.
Nobody knows if people become re-infected with Covid-19 after they've had it. Some recovered people in China and Japan have again tested positive. But it may be due to some lingering virus in the body. Experts are also unsure if infection gives immunity to the virus for some time. In most other diseases, people develop a natural immunity for some time after recovering from an infection. Butt with COVID-19, this is still a grey area that scientists are trying to understand.
This is an important question that is still unanswered. We know that the disease has spread rapidly across the globe and killed many people. But experts still do not know the exact number of people who may be infected. This is because some people have mild symptoms while some have no symptoms at all. This makes it difficult to estimate just how deadly this disease is. Knowing the true number of infections or at least getting a better estimate of the true number will help researchers determine how deadly it is.
Many viruses are seasonal. Temperatures and humidity may have an impact on COVID-19 too. But nobody knows for sure. Here also, experts say that only time will tell. Till now colder and drier places showed slightly larger transmissions before interventions. But it's hard to analyze the exact impact temperature and humidity have on transmission. And, experts say that it is too early to draw any conclusions.
