The coronavirus pandemic is already real around the world. What started as an isolated case in China has turned out to be a global pandemic. There are numerous effects of the Covid19 coronavirus for both human health and the environment. It must be said that for the latter, the coronavirus is somewhat beneficial.
In this article we are going to talk about what are the effects of the coronavirus Covid19.
Infected all over the world
Among the countries most affected by this widespread virus we find China, Italy, Germany and Spain. The facility for this virus to spread from one host to another makes it very dangerous. As in all diseases, there are some populations at risk that have a greater problem with the spread of this disease. In this case, those over 50 years old and who have previous pathologies such as diabetes, cancer or respiratory problems have it much worse than healthy young people.
Faced with the vertiginous increase in infections and the speed of it, the Spanish government has decreed a state of alarm for 15 days. This has quarantined the entire population that was forced to stay home as long as possible. You are only allowed to go out and buy what is just and necessary to be able to support yourself and some basic needs such as walking the dog or going to work.
The vast majority of people are teleworking, allowing them to continue their workday from home. Staying at home is one of the strategies to control the spread of the virus and better monitor healthcare to avoid overcrowding.
What is a coronavirus
This virus produces an infectious disease that is caused by the coronavirus that emerged in Wuhan in December of last year. Coronaviruses They are an extensive family of viruses that are capable of causing various diseases in both humans and animals. These types of epidemics are usually caused by viruses from animals that use ribonucleic acid as genetic material to be able to mount and end up being transmitted to other living beings. The main suspect of being the origin of the Covid19 coronavirus is the bat.
There is some research that claims it could have resided in the snakes first. Although many people have compared this virus to the flu, the common flu causes far fewer deaths in proportion to those infected. In the case of the coronavirus, there is a probability of death of 3.4% of cases and of the common flu less than 1%. It is not known if it has a seasonal behavior, so we do not know if it will begin to decline with the arrival of spring in the northern hemisphere.
One of the mysteries surrounding this virus is its ability to mutate. This will be a determining variable to know if a type of vaccine will be enough to eradicate it or if it will return each season in a different way. The virus that left Wuhan is not exactly the same as the one that has arrived in Spain. The first complete SARS-CiV-2 genomes have been obtained from the first confirmed cases in this country and it has been revealed that it is constantly mutating.
Effects of the coronavirus Covid19
Although not enough is known to be able to draw definitive conclusions about its transmission, there are numerous clinical characteristics of the disease and the degree of spread that help us to establish some measures. Some of the main symptoms that patients frequent the most are:
- Fever
- Tiredness
- Dry cough
- Trouble breathing
- Muscle aches in some patients
- Nasal congestion in some
- Rhinorrhea not in all patients.
- Sore throat in some patients
- Diarrhea in some patients.
All of these symptoms are usually quite mild and appear gradually. Some infected people show none of these effects and symptoms and don't even feel ill. Only one in six people who contract the virus develops a severe illness with severe difficulty breathing. These people are especially older and appear to have pre-existing medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart problems, or diabetes. In some more severe cases, it can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and kidney failure.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that symptoms may appear in just two days or a maximum of 14 days after exposure. However, there are some epidemiologists who suggest that the incubation period for this new coronavirus could be up to 24 days.
Effects of the Covid19 coronavirus on pollution
If we have gotten something good out of this pandemic, it is the reduction in global pollution. The confinement and reduction of the widespread vehicle traffic has contributed to the improvement of air quality in many countries. It has caused a reduction in the industrial activity of transport using fossil fuel combustion vehicles.
Only a few weeks ago some studies and satellite images have been published that show how the crisis of this pandemic reduced all CO25 emissions in China by 2% and shows a significant decrease in Italy with the concentration of pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide that negatively affects air quality and is a greenhouse gas.
Air pollution has dropped sharply after the coronavirus forced everyone to stay indoors. Pollution is primarily caused by human activity, as gases are emitted from exhaust pipes and electricity generation. Coal-fired power plants in particular are increasing carbon dioxide emissions. Thanks to travel restrictions, many businesses and factories have closed and used less energy.
In Madrid and Barcelona, air quality has also begun to improve after the state of alarm decree Approved the salty. There may be some slight variations in the data regarding life, cloud cover, and climate change, although it is fairly certain that the reduction in emissions coincides with the lockdown in Italy, where an improvement in air quality is also observed.
I hope this information helps you learn more about the health effects of the Covid-19 coronavirus and pollution.