Your Trending Covid-19 Questions Answered
The pandemic is on everyone’s mind and has been for the entirety of 2020, so I wanted to take a look at some of the trending questions about Covid-19 from this past year and answer them. From questions about vaccines to if it will end in 2021, I explore some of people’s most searched questions.
1. What does Covid-19 stand for?
Quite simply, the illness, Covid-19, translates as coronavirus disease 2019 because it was a novel (new) coronavirus discovered in 2019. The virus itself is named SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
2. How does Covid-19 affect human beings?
In a biological sense, it affects us like many other viruses where it invades healthy cells and multiplies. Symptomatically, we can experience its effects throughout the whole body, although not everyone will experience each symptom and many people may even be asymptomatic.
Much like a typical virus, our body may respond to the infection by producing a fever. Many people may experience fatigue, cough, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chills, body aches, sore throat, congestion, or shortness of breath. There have been numerous reports of loss of taste and/or smell associated with this virus. Interestingly, cases of pinkeye, rashes, organ damage, and blood clots have also been reported. Further complications can include pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and death. Since this is a novel coronavirus, this information may change as more people contract the virus and further research is conducted.
Post-infection symptoms and complications are still being investigated, but reports have started to come in recently. Fatigue, chest pain, joint pain, shortness of breath, loss of smell/taste, and cough have been reported long-term. Complications can include long-term inflammation or injury in various organs, neurological problems (ranging from memory or concentration issues to sleeping difficulties), and mental health conditions (depression, anxiety). As with other viruses, physical stress on the heart from exercise could lead to heart failure in patients who suffered from myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, from the virus.
The key differences of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses is that it has the ability to attack several points of the cell, correct errors when it’s genetic code is duplicated, reach deeper into the respiratory tract, and use a cell enzyme that’s abundant in the respiratory tract to help merge with cell walls. Not to mention, our immune systems have yet to experience this virus and the virus can run rampant before our body tries to enact a response.
3. Which vaccine is the best or most promising?
Scientists and researchers all over the world have been hard at work developing potential vaccines for this virus. Some of the most promising are the vaccines by AstraZeneca, Pfizer, and Moderna. Each have reported high rates of effectiveness in their clinical trials. Recently, Moderna reported zero cases of severe symptoms or deaths from those with Covid-19 in their clinical trials. These figures are some of the most promising to date, exceeding the expectations of many in the public health field.
4. Will Covid-19 be gone by 2021?
Simply put, no. Vaccines will be rolling out throughout 2021, with early distributions targeted for front-line workers and vulnerable populations, such as the elderly and those with health conditions. It’s estimated that vaccines may not be available to the general population well into 2021 — possibly by summer or fall. Many of the most promising vaccines are able to produce millions of doses for 2021 and then billions of doses in 2022, so there may be some issues with supply globally in 2021. However, with more potential vaccine candidates expected in 2021 and millions of doses already administered, it’s speculated that the winter of late 2021/early 2022 will have far less cases and deaths compared to the current winter months due to the availability of vaccines. Post-2021, the virus may not be eradicated per se, but research still needs to be done long term to determine what potential future outcomes may be possible.
5. Why is Covid-19 so contagious?
According to UC Health, the virus appears similar to other coronavirus strains in terms of transmissibility, but, unlike many of it’s coronavirus counterparts, it can also shred viral particles into saliva before a person experiences any symptoms.
6. When will the vaccine be available?
The great news is that Pfizer just started distributing their vaccine in the UK on December 8. It’s expected that other countries and vaccine developers will join them in early 2021 and beyond.
7. Are the rapid tests accurate?
While no test is 100% accurate, antigen rapid tests tend to produce false negatives in up to 50% of tests. This means that you could be positive for the virus, but test negative. It’s speculated that this could be in relation to the tests themselves and the varying viral loads during a person’s period of infection. A PCR test may take a little longer, but it is the gold standard for detecting an active infection right now.
8. Can it spread on surfaces?
According to the FDA, it is possible to get the virus by touching an infected surface and then your nose, mouth, or eyes. While this isn’t the most common way it spreads, it’s important to disinfect surfaces and wash your hands often.
In conclusion, most trending questions focused on what one would expect of a novel virus — vaccines, testing, how it spreads, how it affects us, and when life can go back to normal. As a reminder of what public health officials have stated since earlier this year, please be diligent with your health, wash your hands, social distance, wear a mask, and stay home if possible. Once vaccines are readily available to the general public, please consider getting vaccinated to help protect those who are medically unable to. Stay safe and healthy!
