Key Points about COVID-19: Symptoms, Transmission, and Herd Immunity
Current Situation and Guidelines
- It’s crucial to stay at home if you experience any symptoms of illness, even mild ones.
- If you have symptoms, get tested for COVID-19. Testing instructions can be found on 1177.se, tailored to your region. Testing is only conducted for symptomatic individuals.
- While awaiting test results, remain at home and maintain physical distance from others.
- Stay home for at least two days after symptoms have completely subsided and for at least seven days from the onset of the first symptoms.
- COVID-19 is considered a socially dangerous infection under the Swedish Communicable Diseases Act. Compliance with authorities’ recommendations to prevent infection spread is mandatory.
- People over 70 should follow the same guidelines as others, but note that age is a major risk factor for severe COVID-19.
- If possible, work from home.
- Avoid gatherings like parties, weddings, and funerals. In restaurants, groups are limited to a maximum of eight people.
- Minimize public transport usage, especially during peak hours.
- Stricter guidelines apply to certain counties, including Stockholm, Sörmland, Kronoberg County, Västra Götaland, Östergötland, Uppsala, Skåne, Halland, Jönköping, and Örebro.
COVID-19 Background
- On New Year’s Eve 2019, WHO received reports of a new virus causing pneumonia in Wuhan, China. It was identified as SARS-CoV-2, causing COVID-19.
- The infection spread globally, reaching Sweden by January 2020. On March 11, 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
Pandemic Definition
- A pandemic occurs when an infectious disease affects numerous people across large parts of the world.
- Some viruses that initially infect animals can adapt to infect humans, leading to widespread transmission.
- Notable pandemics in the 20th century include the Spanish flu, Asian flu, and Hong Kong flu. The 2000s saw two more pandemics: swine flu and COVID-19.
Understanding Coronavirus
- Coronavirus is a diverse virus family causing a range of diseases, from mild colds to severe respiratory infections.
- SARS and MERS are known diseases caused by coronaviruses. COVID-19 is the latest addition.
- Coronaviruses can transfer between animals and humans. SARS likely originated from palm martens, while MERS may have come from dromedaries.
COVID-19 Symptoms
- Coronaviruses affecting humans cause various symptoms, predominantly related to the respiratory system.
- Common symptoms include sore throat, cough, fever, and mild cold-like symptoms.
- Severe cases can lead to difficulty breathing, pneumonia, and impact other organs.
Herd Immunity and COVID-19
- Herd immunity refers to collective protection within a society against a specific infection.
- It’s achieved when enough people are immune, either due to prior infection or vaccination.
- Herd immunity may have been considered a strategy in Sweden, but the focus is now on slowing infection spread.
- Complete prevention is challenging; sufficient immunity is needed to halt transmission.
COVID-19 Transmission
- COVID-19 primarily spreads through droplet infection (coughing, sneezing) and direct human contact.
- Indirect contact infection through contaminated surfaces is possible but unclear in its role.
- Incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days, with most symptoms emerging around day five.
Common COVID-19 Symptoms
- Common symptoms include cough, fever, runny nose, nasal congestion, difficulty breathing, nausea, stomach ache, diarrhea, sore throat, headache, muscle and joint pain, and loss of taste and smell.
- Symptoms vary widely, with most people experiencing mild illness, and some remaining asymptomatic.
Stay informed and follow recommended guidelines to protect yourself and others during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.