At the end of 2019, a novel coronavirus was determined to be the cause of numerous cases of severe pneumonia in Wuhan, China creating an epidemic in the region. Fast forward to today, where the virus has now become a pandemic, causing serious havoc worldwide. There has been no event that has affected the world like this since World War II. My duty as a pharmacist is to help relay important measures to keep yourself and your loved ones safe while also sharing important clinical information.
I do want to note around this time please be patient with all healthcare professionals especially retail pharmacists who are the most accessible healthcare professionals out there. They are all working hard to ensure that your health and safety is number one. We are all humans too and we also could easily get the virus, probably more so than others. If possible try your best to minimize physical contact especially with our community pharmacists, if possible, as many pharmacies ship medications to your doorstep for free and you can get a lot of information about your medication online through their various websites.
How does the virus spread?
COVID-19 has shown to mainly spread person-to-person by respiratory droplets from an infected individual who coughs, sneezes or even talks within six feet of you, with the risk of it reaching your mucous membranes. The virus can also be transmitted if a person touches an infected surface and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
Mechanism of COVID-19
COVID-19 is a beta coronavirus that has a receptor-binding gene region that is very similar to that of the SARS coronavirus. This virus has been shown to enter cells through the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor which is a hormone we all have in our bodies. Hence knowing this, it is important to stay away from drugs that could promote the virus entry into cells, such medications include ibuprofen or Advil. Preferably the best medication to take for pain if you potentially have the virus is acetaminophen.
Myth or Fact? If you are young you can’t get coronavirus.
This is a big myth, anyone of any age can get coronavirus, there have been some documented deaths in young individuals however, so far adults of middle age and older are most commonly affected. In several cohorts of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19, the median age ranged from 49 to 56 years, in China specifically, 87% of patients were between 30 and 79 years old.
What are the common symptoms to expect?
- Fever (defined as greater than 100.4°F/38°C)
- Fatigue
- DRY cough
- Muscle pain
- Shortness of breath
**Note it helps to buy a thermometer to measure your body temperature, but make sure you read what body area the thermometer is calibrated to read, such as under the tongue, under the armpit, rectally etc. this will ensure that you get an accurate reading.
What are some important statistics about COVID-19?
Currently as of March 19, 2020 there are 230,050 cases worldwide, of which approximately 36% have recovered while 4.1% have died. In regards, to the spectrum of illness associated with COVID-19 a majority of cases are mild at 81%, severe disease (i.e. low oxygen) was reported in 14% and critical disease (ie. Organ failure) in 5% of patients.
Prevention
I want to strongly emphasize the importance of social distancing and staying at home if you are sick. Viruses thrive with large groups of people being together which we want to minimize as much as possible. Also there are numerous people out there with medical conditions that could make this virus deathly, I’m talking about conditions such as lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and more. If you follow these recommendations not only will be protecting yourself and loved ones but also doing good by the world.
Other ways to prevent widespread infection is as follows:
- Washing your hands frequently, especially after touching surfaces. You may also use hand sanitizer afterwards that contains at least 60% alcohol
- Practice respiratory hygiene and cover sneezes and coughs appropriately
- Avoid touching the face especially your eyes, nose and mouth
- Avoid crowds if possible and contact with ill individuals
- Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects that are frequently touched
All in all, please be safe, protect yourselves and my prayers goes out to those who have lost loved ones to this unfortunate virus and are suffering financially. Better days are to come soon.
–Ms Rx Geek