Coronavirus facts​

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.