View source for COVID-19

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<noglossary><h2><strike>What is</strike> COVID-19 The Symptoms </h2></noglossary>
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<noglossary>
<p>Diseases are named to enable discussion on disease prevention, spread, transmissibility, severity and treatment. Human disease preparedness and response is WHO’s role, so diseases are officially named by WHO in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD).</p>
<p>ICTV announced “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)” as the name of the new virus on 11 February 2020.  This name was chosen because the virus is genetically related to the coronavirus responsible for the SARS outbreak of 2003.  While related, the two viruses are different. </p>  
<p>WHO announced “COVID-19” as the name of this new disease on 11 February 2020, following guidelines previously developed with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).</p>

<p><u>Source</u>: {{Link:UN/WHO/Naming Covid Text}}</p>
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<p><b>6&nbsp;August&nbsp;2021</b></p>

<h3>World Health Organization</h3>
<p>What is COVID-19? (According to the World Health Organization)?</p>
<p>The answers are on this page:- [[COVID-19/What is COVID-19|What is COVID-19]]</p>
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<h3>Australia </h3>
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<p>The main entry point for the Australian Government website is {{Link:AusGov/MainPage URL}}. This portal links to other government websites, but currently features the 'official Australian Government response website to provide support and updates to Australians on the Coronavirus pandemic'. Topics linked from this page include:</p>
<ul>
   <li>Check your eligibility and locate your nearest vaccination centre</li>
   <li>Information for people with disability about COVID-19 vaccines</li>
   <li>COVID-19 Disaster Payment</li>
   <li>Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment</li>
   <li>Other financial assistance is available</li>
</ul>
<p>Plus 'News and updates' which includes a link to the 'National Plan to transition Australia's National COVID Response'.</p>
<p>However, there is absolutely no information about COVID-19 on this page.  </p>

<p>None of the links suggest navigating to the {{Link:AusGov/Health URL}}, which is good because there is nothing useful there. Actually, if you search hard you may get to this page:-
{{Link:AusGov/Health WhatNeedKnowCovid URL}} and then you will be informed as follows:-</p>

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<p><b>What you need to know about coronavirus (COVID-19)</b></p>
<p>Learn about COVID-19, how it spreads, who is at risk, what to do if you think you have it, and what resources and support are available to you.</p>

<p><b>What is COVID-19</b></p>
<p>Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause respiratory infections. These can range from the common cold to more serious diseases.</p>
<p>COVID-19 is a disease caused by a form of coronavirus. </p>
<p>Other coronaviruses include Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).</p>
<br />

<p><b>Symptoms</b></p>
<p>Symptoms of COVID-19 can range from mild illness to pneumonia. Some people will recover easily, and others may get very sick very quickly. People with coronavirus may experience symptoms such as:<br />
<ul>
   <li>fever </li>
   <li>respiratory symptoms<br />
      <ul>
         <li>coughing </li>
         <li>sore throat </li>
         <li>shortness of breath. </li>
      </ul></li>
</ul></p>

<p>Other symptoms can include runny nose, acute blocked nose (congestion), headache, muscle or joint pains, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of sense of smell, altered sense of taste, loss of appetite and fatigue.</p>
<p>To stop the spread of COVID-19 people with even mild symptoms of respiratory infection should get tested.</p>
 
<p>...<html><a href="#OmittedSection"><sup>1</sup></a></html></p>


<p><b>How it spreads</b></p>
<p>The virus can spread from person to person through:<br />
<ul>
   <li>close contact with an infectious person (including in the 48 hours before they had symptoms) </li>
   <li>contact with droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze </li>
   <li>touching objects or surfaces (like doorknobs or tables) that have droplets from an infected person, and then touching your mouth or face. </li>
</ul></p>
<p>COVID-19 is a new disease, so there is no existing immunity in our community. This means that COVID-19 could spread widely and quickly.</p>

<p><b>Who is most at risk</b></p>
<p>In Australia, the people most at risk of catching the virus are:<br />
<ul>
   <li>travellers who have recently been overseas </li>
   <li>those who have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19</li>
   <li>people in correctional and detention facilities </li>
   <li>people in group residential settings. </li>
</ul></p>

<p>You are at high risk of serious illness from COVID-19 if you:<br />
<ul>
   <li>are age 70 years and older </li>
   <li>have certain conditions which compromise their immune systems. </li>
</ul></p>

<p>You are at moderate risk of serious illness from COVID-19 if you:<br />
<ul>
   <li>have certain chronic conditions. </li>
</ul></p>

<p>If you have any medical conditions it is recommended you discuss your individual risk and what you can do to protect yourself with your treating doctor. See our advice for people at risk.</p>

<p>At this stage the risk to children and babies, and the role children play in the transmission of COVID-19, is not clear. However, there has so far been a low rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases among children, relative to the broader population. For more information about COVID-19 and children please read this fact sheet.</p>

<p>There is limited evidence at this time regarding the risk in pregnant women.</p>

<p><b>Long-term health effects of COVID-19</b></p>
<p>The Australian Government is actively monitoring medical research being done around the world on the short- and long-term health effects of COVID-19. COVID-19 can affect a range of body systems including those related to the:<br />
<ul>
   <li>lungs </li>
   <li>heart </li>
   <li>brain </li>
   <li>liver </li>
   <li>kidneys </li>
   <li>intestines </li>
   <li>muscles </li>
   <li>joints and </li>
   <li>blood vessels. </li>
</ul></p>

<p>There is now good evidence that some people experience ongoing symptoms after recovering from the acute illness related to COVID-19. These symptoms can sometimes last weeks to months after recovery from their initial illness.</p>

<p>Ongoing symptoms are more common in people who had more severe illness from COVID-19, for example in those who needed treatment in hospital. Up to 30% of seriously ill patients have reported at least one symptom, most commonly fatigue, persisting after 6 months.</p>

<p>However, some people who initially had mild symptoms have also reported persistent symptoms. This suggests the virus may cause a prolonged impact on a number of body systems that can affect both physical and mental health.</p>

<p>The most commonly reported persistent symptoms are:<br />
<ul>
   <li>fatigue </li>
   <li>shortness of breath </li>
   <li> </li>
   <li>loss of, or reduced, sense of smell and/or taste </li>
   <li>chest pain </li>
   <li>lack of sleep </li>
   <li>headaches </li>
</ul></p>

<p>Other symptoms that have also been reported include:<br />
<ul>
   <li>chills, fever or sweating </li>
   <li> poor concentration and memory problems</li>
   <li>cough </li>
   <li>depression and anxiety </li>
   <li>hair loss </li>
   <li>joint and/or muscle pain </li>
   <li>irregular heart beat </li>
   <li>low blood pressure on standing associated with a fast heart rate (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which may explain some of the other symptoms </li>
   <li>weakness </li>
   <li>weight loss </li>
</ul></p>

<p>Other serious long term complications that may occur with COVID-19, in particular following serious illness, includes:<br />
<ul>
   <li>lung damage and scarring </li>
   <li>scaring of the heart muscle </li>
   <li>heart failure </li>
   <li>kidney failure </li>
</ul></p>

<p><b>How long will the symptoms last?</b></p>
<p>It is currently uncertain how long these symptoms may persist. COVID-19 is a novel virus so most studies have only reported up to 6 months after a diagnosis with COVID-19. However, the number of people experiencing these symptoms is known to decrease over time. In a large survey of people in the United Kingdom who had COVID-19, 22% still reported at least one symptom at 5 weeks following their initial infection. In that survey, nearly 10% of people reported at least one symptom at 12 weeks.</p>


<p><u>Source</u>: {{Link:AusGov/Health WhatNeedKnowCovid Text}} Retrieved 8 August 2021.</p>
<p><html><a name=OmittedSection></a></html>Note 1: A section covering <i>Respiratory allergies – allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and allergic asthma</i> has been omitted from this extract. </p>
<p>Note 2: The article continues with advice which, although relevant, is not included here.</p>
<p>Note 3: The source webpage was Last updated: 30 July 2021.</p>
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<h3>United States </h3>
<p>The main portal for information seems to be {{Link:USGov/Coronavirus URL}}, a page titled <i>Coronavirus (COVID-19)</i> and logos from both the CDC and FEMA. Two options might be useful:-<br />
<ol>
   <li><p>A link that might be useful is titled 'Check for Symptoms' but the link is problematic - the URL is <html><a href="https://www.apple.com/covid19" class="disabledURL">https://www.apple.com/covid19</a></html> which is not current and not government website - but may redirect to a <i>Coronavirus Self-Checker</i>. Scroll down to the bottom of that page and there is a link to {{Link:USGov/HHS/CDC/CoronavirusSymptoms Text}} but the list of symptoms is less informative than the Australian website quoted above, so is not replicated here.</p> </li>
   <li><p>At the bottom of the page is a link to 'Find Answers on Coronavirus' which would go to {{Link:USGov/FAQcoronavirus URL}} but if the link can be followed it would lead to a page for various topics and services.</p> </li>
</ol></p>
<p>The CDC portal would be {{Link:USGov/HHS/CDC/nCov Portal URL}} and the most prominent instruction is Get Vaccinated! COVID-19 Vaccines are Widely Available.</p>

<hr>

<h3>Canada </h3>
<p>Start at {{Link:Canada/Gov/PHAC/MainPage URL}}.<br />
Follow the link Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to the Canadian Government portal for {{Link:Canada/Gov/PHAC/CoronavirusDisease URL}}<br />
Select the item 'Symptoms and Treatment' and follow the link to {{Link:Canada/Gov/PHAC/SymptomsTreatment URL}}.</p>
<p>The page {{Link:Canada/Gov/PHAC/PreventionRisks URL}} is useful, and some 'Digital Fact Sheets' are linked from the end of that page. However, some of these have not been updated since 2020.</p>

<hr>

<h3>United Kingdom </h3>
<p>The UK Government portal {{Link:UKGov/Coronavirus Portal URL}} is focussed on support services and vaccination with nothing useful about the disease. </p>
<p>The NHS page {{Link:UKGov/NHS/COVID-19 URL}} has a link to {{Link:UKGov/NHS/COVID-19 Symptoms URL}} which has further links to either the main symptoms or the symptoms in children.</p>
<p>As at 5 August 2021 when the information was last reviewed or updated (next review due 19 August 2021) the main symptoms are:-</p>
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<p><b>Main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19)</b></p>
<p>The main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are:
<ul>
   <li><b>a high temperature</b> – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) </li>
   <li><b>a new, continuous cough</b> – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual) </li>
   <li><b>a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste</b> – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal </li>
</ul></p>

<p><u>Source</u>: {{Link:UKGov/NHS/COVID-19 Main Symptoms Text  }}</p>
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<p>A source for more detail can be found near the end of the page {{Link:UKGov/NHS/COVID-19 URL}} where there is a link to <i>Information for health professionals</i> which opens the page {{Link:UKGov/NHS/Clinicians Text}}<br />
Select <i>Primary care</i> and open the page {{Link:UKGov/NHS/Primary Care URL}}</p>
<p>Before we continue, there is a prominent note:<br />
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<p>NICE is now the single point of advice on caring for people with coronavirus and the management of COVID-19 in different healthcare settings. 24 of the COVID-19 specialty guides have now moved to its <html><a href="https://www.nice.org.uk/covid-19" target="_blank">website</a></html> and NICE will begin a process of mapping the recommendations against its suite of COVID-19 rapid guidelines and integrating them where possible. </p>
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<p>As at 9 August 2021 the link to the National Institute for Health Care and Excellence returned a 'server error'</p>
<p>Apart from that issue, the page {{Link:UKGov/NHS/Primary Care URL}} has an item labelled <i>About Coronavirus (COVID-19)</i> for 'Symptoms, mode of transmission, case/contact definition and situational reports', which is here: {{Link:UKGov/NHS/AboutCoronavirus URL}}. </p>
<p>This page hosts a number of items which are expanded here with some comments added:-</p>
<ul>
   <li>WHO: Coronavirus (COVID-19) explained<br />
{{Link:UN/WHO/About Coronavirus URL}}<br />
 </li>

   <li>COVID-19: epidemiology, virology and clinical features<br />
{{Link:UKGov/EpidemiologyVirology URL}}<br />
The destination page explains that 'Information on COVID-19 epidemiology, virology and clinical features can be accessed via the {{Link:UKGov/clinical features Text}}<br />
This is very basic and one would hope that clinicians and primary health care providers would be better informed. </li>

   <li>WHO: Operational update/reports<br />
{{Link:UN/WHO/URL/Situation Reports}} </li>

   <li>GOV.UK: COVID-19 in the UK daily updates<br />
{{Link:UKGov/Covid Daily Updates URL}} </li>

   <li>Find guidance about coronavirus (COVID-19) for health professionals and other organisations from GOV.UK<br />
{{Link:UKGov/Covid Guidance URL}}<br />
This is a collection of guidance notes for a range of topics, each of which are important, but none focus on <i>how</i>the disease may progresses in an infected individual. </li>
</ul>

<hr>

<h3>European Union</h3>
<p>The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control home page at {{Link:EU/ECDC/HomePage URL}} is a portal for information about the COVID-19 pandemic, with quick links to situation updates and data.</p>
<p>On the COVID-19 page {{Link:EU/ECDC/COVID-19 URL}} there is a section labelled Q&A on COVID-19.</p>
<p>The information provided by the ECDC is both superior to and more easily accessible than comparable information published by the national governments of Australia, USA, Canada and UK. The following link is recommended reading. but does not yet provide answers to questions beginning with <i>how</i>, like 'how does the disease progress?'</p>
<p>{{Link:EU/ECDC/COVID-19 Q&A Text}}</p>

<hr>

<h3>Final Thoughts</h3>
<p>The obvious way to prevent serious illness is to get vaccinated. It's the only solution if all our other strategies fail or become impractical - like masks, self quarantine or community lockdown. And it's the only solution promoted by most governments. But what if there are readily available treatments which could reduce the risk of disease progression? Wouldn't that be preferable?</p>
<p>So here is the reason for my search for better information about COVID-19: - if you (and I) don't know much about the actual disease then we don't know about how it progresses and we won't ask the rational and obvious question - how can disease progression be prevented? Perhaps we'll trust the 'experts'.</p>
<p>In an ideal world confronted by a disease which has killed millions one might expect a peak body such as the World Health Organization to gather a team of experts and publish really useful information, or create a repository of peer-reviewed papers and studies, which would be regularly updated and be the 'go to' site for governments and clinicians around the world, some of which may choose to republish the information on their own websites.<ref name="Infodemiology" /></p>
<p>Eighteen months is a long time to wait for something like this so obviously it is not going to happen. The reasons why are covered in other articles, for example: [[ACE2/ACE2 and COVID-19|ACE2 and COVID-19]].</p>

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<h3>References</h3>
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<ref name="Answers">There is a lot of information about COVID-19 available from State Government websites, Universities, Doctors with their own websites, and mainstream media have assembled FAQs and portals for <i>what you need to know</i> etc. And of course an amazing number of reports and studies have been published by reputable journals. My point is though that Government Departments at Federal or National Level should have collated the latest research and produced articles which would be current, reliable, informative, referenced and accessible. As the pandemic has progressed the disease has changed, the virus has mutated, the symptoms for each variant may be different, and the data on which governments make their decisions should be up-to-date, published and accessible.</ref>

<ref name="Infodemiology">Instead of hosting a medical conference, which would be appropriate for a world Health organization, the WHO hosted a conference on [[Infodemiology]] 30 June – 16 July 2020.</ref>
</references>
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