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Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

April 11, 20268 Mins read12 Views

COVID-19 stands for coronavirus disease 2019. Here’s what to know about transmission, treatment, and prevention in 2024. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

In 2019, COVID-19 began generating headlines worldwide because of its unprecedented transmission speed.

Its origins can be traced back to a food market in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. From there, it reached countries as distant as the United States and the Philippines.

Five years since, the coronavirus (officially named SARS-CoV-2) infection has led to more than 7 million deaths, of which more than 1 million occurred in the United States.

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Read on to learn more about COVID-19: Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

how coronavirus gets transmitted
how it’s similar to and different from other coronaviruses
how to prevent transmission of coronavirus if you suspect you’ve contracted it

What are the symptoms? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

COVID-19 may not cause any symptoms for some people. A December 2020 literature review estimated that 17% of people with COVID-19 are asymptomatic. This means they have no symptoms at all.

Among those who do have symptoms, symptoms may appear 2 to 14 daysTrusted Source after exposure.

Some common symptoms linked to COVID-19 include:

shortness of breath
a cough that gets more severe over time
congestion or runny nose
fever
chills
fatigue

Less common symptoms include: Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

shivering
sore throat
headache
muscle aches and pains
loss of taste or smell
a stuffy or runny nose
gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
discoloration of fingers or toes
pink eye
rash

However, individuals with COVID-19 may have some, all, or none of the above symptoms.

Mild vs. severe COVID-19

The most common symptom of COVID-19 is fever. However, a 2020 study involving 213 participants with mild disease found that only 11.6% of them had a fever. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

Most people with COVID-19 will only have a mild case. According to the National Institutes of Health’s COVID-19 treatment guidelines, people are said to have a mild case if they:

have any of the typical symptoms of COVID-19 (such as cough, fatigue, or loss of taste or smell)
do not have shortness of breath or atypical chest imaging

That said, mild cases can still have long-lasting effects. People who experience symptoms months after first contracting the virus — and after it is no longer detectable — are referred to as long haulers.

According to a 2021 study, approximately one-thirdTrusted Source of people with COVID-19 had persistent symptoms for as long as 9 months after infection. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

That said, call emergency medical services if you or someone you care for has severe or life threatening symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or confusion.

COVID-19 vs. flu on Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

At the pandemic’s beginning, coronavirus caused more deaths than the seasonal flu.

However, a 2023 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the outcomes for adults hospitalized with COVID-19 are similar to those hospitalised with the flu.

The only exception is COVID-19 patients from ages 18 to 49 years; the rate of death continues to be higher than the rate for the flu. The flu and COVID-19 also share many of the same symptoms.

What causes coronaviruses? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

Coronaviruses are zoonotic. This means they first develop in animals before being transmitted to humans. For the virus to be transmitted from animals to humans, a person has to come into close contact with an animal that has the infection.

There are 45 known coronaviruses [Trusted Source], of which 8 are known to infect humans, including COVID-19. This also includes the common cold, which has been in human populations for so long that nowadays, its transmission is more common from one human to another. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

Once the disease develops in people, the transmission of coronaviruses can occur from one person to another through respiratory droplets. This is a technical name for the wet stuff that moves through the air when you exhale, cough, sneeze, or talk.

The viruses hang out in these droplets. When you breathe, they get into your respiratory tract (windpipe and lungs), where the virus can then cause an infection. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

SARS-CoV-2 can also form aerosolsTrusted Source or dissolve into a fine spray of particles and moisture and remain suspended in the air for minutes to hours.

Where did COVID-19 come from? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

Researchers can’t definitively link COVID-19 to a cause even after five years of its emergence. It’s widely believed the transmission likely occurred in the open food market in Wuhan, China, although there are still theories about the virus originating in the laboratory.

In a 2024 report by the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, 77% of surveyed experts believed the virus came from an animal naturally.

However, one out of five experts also believed there was a 21% probability that COVID-19 resulted from a “research-related accident”.

Who’s at an increased risk? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

You’re at high risk for contracting SARS-CoV-2 if you come in contact with someone carrying the virus, especially if you get exposed to their saliva or if you were near them when they coughed, sneezed, or talked.

Without taking proper preventive measures, you’re also at high risk if you:

live with someone who has contracted the virus
are providing home care for someone who has contracted the virus
have an intimate partner who has contracted the virus

Older adults (ages 65 years and older) and people with certain health conditions have a higher chanceTrusted Source of developing severe complications if they contract the virus. These health conditions include: Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

cancer
serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, and cardiomyopathy
chronic kidney disease
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
obesity (a condition that develops in people with a BMI of 30 or higher)
sickle cell anemia
a weakened immune system from a solid organ transplant
type 2 diabetes

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists also reports that pregnant people may experience severe maternal illness due to COVID-19 infection during pregnancy.

Transmission of coronavirus to the foetus during pregnancy isn’t likely, but the newborn can contract the virus after birth.

However, according to a 2021 study, the antibodies in women who received vaccination were found in cord blood, meaning the antibodies are transferred to the baby, and they also can be found in breast milk.

How are coronavirus infections diagnosed? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

The diagnosis of COVID-19 can be similar to other conditions that viruses cause using a blood, saliva, or tissue sample.

However, most testsTrusted Source use a cotton swab to retrieve a sample from the inside of your nostrils.

Locations that conduct tests include: Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

the CDC
some state health departments
commercial companies
certain pharmacies
clinics and hospitals
emergency rooms
community testing centers

Visit the website of your state’s health department or the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services to find testing centres near you.

At-home tests on Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

At-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests are available to test whether you currently have an active infection.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Trusted Source has authorised these tests. You can buy them online and at most pharmacies and test them at home without a prescription. If you get a negative result, you may take a retest just in case of a false negative result. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

Since it’s common to store these tests at home nowadays, it’s important that you check the expiration date before testing.

What treatments are available? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

There’s currently no cure for COVID-19. Over the years, the FDA approved and deauthorised various treatments, such as monoclonal antibody medications, for example.

The most current, approved medications for COVID-19, according to the CDCTrusted Source, are antiviral medications. These are:

Nirmatrelvir with Ritonavir (Paxlovid), a pill approved for adults and children ages 12 years and older
Remdesivir (Veklury), an IV infusion injection approved for adults and children
Molnupiravir (Lagevrio), a pill approved only for adults

Depending on your symptoms and their severity, if you are hospitalised for COVID-19, you may also get treatment, which includes the following: Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

IV steroids
an interleukin-6 antagonist called Actemra (tocilizumab)
a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor called tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Xeljanz XR)
a mutagenic ribonucleoside drug called molnupiravir (Lagevrio)
convalescent plasma
supplemental oxygen

What are the possible complications from COVID-19? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

The rate of death from COVID-19 has decreased significantlyTrusted Source in recent years. These days, more than 80%Trusted Source of all COVID-19 infections are mild, and many people have had the virus more than once.

That said, the most serious complication of COVID-19 is still a gradual or abrupt decline in health, resulting in acute respiratory failure and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), or multiple organ failure that ultimately leads to death. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

One study reports that ARDS occurred in up to 32.2%Trusted Source of cases, while other studies mentioned ARDS only happening in 3.6% of patients. That said, according to another 2023 study involving 4,700 patients who experienced organ failure due to the virus, 5.8%Trusted Source, or 272 patients, died as a result.

The most common type of organ failure was respiratory system dysfunction, followed by problems with the heart, the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal system, and the kidneys.

Other possible complications Trusted sources include the following: Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

secondary bacterial or fungal infections
post-COVID-19 syndrome (long COVID), which, in addition to physical symptoms, can cause long-term neurological symptoms like brain fog, and psychiatric symptoms, such as anxiety and depression
multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), also called pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS), is now less common Trusted Source

How can you prevent coronaviruses?

The best way to prevent the transmission of coronaviruses is to avoid or limit contact with people who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or any respiratory infection.

The next best thing you can do is practise good hygiene and physical distancing to help prevent bacteria and viruses from being transmitted.

Vaccines

On December 11, 2020, the FDA Trusted Source granted its first EUA for a vaccine. Since then, newer versions and booster shots have been developed.

The vaccines available currently [Trusted Source] are manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and Novavax. Healthcare professionals highly recommend them to protect you against severe illness from the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Trusted Source recommends that most people ages 18 years and older get an annual COVID-19 vaccine. They suggest a shared decision model for those ages 6 months to 17 years.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends vaccination for every child 6 months or older, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) recommends vaccination for all pregnant people.

Older adults (65 years and older) and people with compromised immune systems or certain underlying medical conditions may need more than one dose for optimal effectiveness. This also includes a booster shot when an updated version is released.

Frequently asked questions on Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

Can I go out if I have COVID-19?

The CDC advisesTrusted Source you to stay at home if you test positive for any respiratory virus, including COVID-19, and avoid contact with others for at least 24 hours after your symptoms have reduced and you no longer have a fever (without the use of medication).

How long can you transmit COVID-19, if you contract it? Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

If you have COVID-19, you can transmit the virus to other people before and after showing symptoms. This occurs within 1 to 2 days before symptoms appear and in the first 8 to 10 days after. Even if you don’t have symptoms but test positive, you can still transmit the virus to others. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

How long does COVID last?

Typically, symptoms will appear within 5 to 6 days of exposure and can persist between 1 and 14 daysTrusted Source. Those who develop long covid may experience trusted Source long-term symptoms for weeks, months, and sometimes years.

Takeaway on Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, is a highly transmissible respiratory illness. Though it can range from mild to severe, most people experience mild symptoms and recover without complications.

While there is no known cure for COVID-19, treatments are available to help reduce symptoms and support breathing. Vaccines have helped to reduce the severity of illness for many people. Everything You Should Know About COVID-19 in 2024

However, some people, including but not limited to young children, older adults, and people with compromised immune systems, can still develop severe illness. For this reason, it’s important to keep your distance from people while you have coronavirus infection, even if you don’t have symptoms.