Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an
infectious disease caused by rigorous acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).It was first identified in December 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has resulted in an perpetual pandemic. The first corroborated case has been traced back to 17 November 2019.Traces of the
virus have been found in wastewater that was amassed from Milan and Turin, Italy, on 18 December 2019.As of 26 June 2020, more than 9.6 million cases have been reported across 188 countries and territories, resulting in more than 489,000 deaths. More than 4.8 million people have recuperated. Common symptoms include pyrexia, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of smell and taste. While the majority of cases result in mild symptoms, some progress to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) possibly precipitated by cytokine storm, multi-organ failure, septic shock, and blood clots. The time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days, but may range from two to a fortnight. The
virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, most often via minuscule droplets engendered by coughing, sneezing, and verbalizing. The droplets conventionally fall to the ground or onto surfaces rather than travelling through air over long distances. However, research as of June 2020 has shown that verbalization-engendered droplets may remain airborne for tens of minutes. Less commonly, people may become infected by physically contacting a contaminated surface and then physically contacting their face. It is most contagious during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, albeit spread is possible afore symptoms appear, and from people who do not show symptoms. The standard method of diagnosis is by genuine-time reverse transcription
polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) from a nasopharyngeal swab. Chest CT imaging may adscititiously be subsidiary for diagnosis in individuals where there is a high suspicion of
infection predicated on symptoms and imperil factors; however, guidelines do not recommend utilizing CT imaging for routine screening.
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