This document provides information on COVID-19 from its symptoms and treatment to how it spreads and can be prevented. COVID-19 is a new disease caused by a coronavirus that was first identified in Wuhan, China in late 2019. Its symptoms are similar to the cold or flu but can sometimes cause pneumonia or breathing difficulties. The virus spreads mainly through droplets from coughs or sneezes and can be transmitted by touching contaminated surfaces. Older individuals and those with pre-existing medical conditions are at higher risk. There is no specific treatment but mild cases are treated with fever reducers. Public health measures like handwashing and social distancing can help slow the spread.

1. PRESENTATION ON
COVID-19
PRESENTED BY

2. WHAT IS COVID-19?
 COVID-19 IS A DISEASE CAUSED BY A NEW STRAIN OF
CORONAVIRUS.
 ‘CO’ STANDS FOR CORONA, ‘VI’ FOR VIRUS, AND ‘D’
FOR DISEASE. FORMERLY, THIS DISEASE WAS REFERRED
TO AS ‘2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS’ OR ‘2019-NCOV.’
 THE COVID-19 VIRUS IS A NEW VIRUS LINKED TO THE
SAME FAMILY OF VIRUSES AS SEVERE ACUTE
RESPIRATORY SYNDROME (SARS) AND SOME TYPES OF
COMMON COLD.
 THE FIRST CASES WERE IDENTIFIED IN PEOPLE WITH
PNEUMONIA IN WUHAN, CHINA, IN LATE DECEMBER
2019.

3. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19?
SYMPTOMS CAN INCLUDE FEVER, COUGH AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH.
IN MORE SEVERE CASES, INFECTION CAN CAUSE PNEUMONIA OR BREATHING
DIFFICULTIES. MORE RARELY, THE DISEASE CAN BE FATAL.
THESE SYMPTOMS ARE SIMILAR TO THE FLU (INFLUENZA) OR THE COMMON COLD,
WHICH ARE A LOT MORE COMMON THAN COVID-19.
THIS IS WHY TESTING IS REQUIRED TO CONFIRM IF SOMEONE HAS COVID-19.
SYMPTOMS START ABOUT ONE DAY AFTER EXPOSURE, BUT CAN BE AS LONG AS 14
DAYS.
Fever Sore
throat
Shortness of
breath
Cough Sudden loss of smell and taste

4. HOW DOES COVID-19 SPREAD?
• MOST PEOPLE ARE BEING INFECTED FROM
OTHER PEOPLE.
• IT PROBABLY SPREADS THE SAME WAY AS
COLDS AND FLU – THROUGH DROPLETS
WHICH ARE CREATED WHEN WE TALK, COUGH
AND SNEEZE.
• PEOPLE CAN GET INFECTED WHEN THESE
DROPLETS ENTER THE NOSE, EYES OR
MOUTH.
• TOUCHING CONTAMINATED OBJECTS PUTS
THE DROPLETS ONTO YOUR HANDS. IF YOU
TOUCH YOUR FACE THE DROPLETS CAN
ENTER YOUR NOSE / EYES / MOUTH.
• SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INFECTED
FOLLOWING CONTACT WITH AN INFECTED
PERSON WITH MINIMAL OR NO SYMPTOMS.

5. WHO IS MOST AT RISK?
WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW COVID-19 AFFECTS PEOPLE EVERY
DAY. OLDER PEOPLE, AND PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS, SUCH
AS DIABETES AND HEART DISEASE, APPEAR TO BE MORE AT RISK OF DEVELOPING
SEVERE SYMPTOMS. AS THIS IS A NEW VIRUS, WE ARE STILL LEARNING ABOUT
HOW IT AFFECTS CHILDREN. WE KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE OF ANY AGE TO
BE INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS, BUT SO FAR THERE ARE RELATIVELY FEW CASES OF
COVID-19 REPORTED AMONG CHILDREN. THIS IS A NEW VIRUS AND WE NEED TO
LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW IT AFFECTS CHILDREN. THE VIRUS CAN BE FATAL IN
RARE CASES, SO FAR MAINLY AMONG OLDER PEOPLE WITH PRE-EXISTING MEDICAL
CONDITIONS.

6. WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR COVID-19?
BECAUSE SYMPTOMS ARE SIMILAR
TO MANY OTHER ILLNESSES, TESTS
ARE NEEDED TO MAKE THE
DIAGNOSIS (THROAT SWAB,
BLOOD TEST).
There is no specific treatment.
Mild symptoms can be treated with
medicine to lower the fever, or relieve
pain.
If symptoms are more severe, treatment
in hospital is required.

7. HOW CAN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 BE SLOWED
DOWN OR PREVENTED?
AS WITH OTHER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS LIKE THE FLU OR THE
COMMON COLD, PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES ARE CRITICAL TO SLOW
THE SPREAD OF ILLNESSES. PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES ARE
EVERYDAY PREVENTIVE ACTIONS THAT INCLUDE:
✓ STAYING HOME WHEN SICK;
✓ COVERING MOUTH AND NOSE WITH FLEXED ELBOW OR TISSUE
WHEN COUGHING OR SNEEZING. DISPOSE OF USED TISSUE
IMMEDIATELY;
✓ WASHING HANDS OFTEN WITH SOAP AND WATER; AND
✓ CLEANING FREQUENTLY TOUCHED SURFACES AND OBJECTS.

8. AVOID EXPOSURE
• KEEP 1-2 METRES (3-6 FEET) AWAY FROM OTHERS, EVEN IF
THEY APPEAR WELL, AND AVOID DIRECT CONTACT WITH
THEM.
• AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE (EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH) –
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE TOUCHED OBJECTS HANDLED BY
MANY PEOPLE (SUCH AS HANDRAILS, DOOR HANDLES).
• AVOID SHAKING HANDS, KISSING OR HUGGING; INSTEAD
WAVE, BOW, NOD OR USE ANY OTHER CULTURALLY
APPROPRIATE GESTURE TO GREET VISITORS; MAINTAINING A
DISTANCE OF 1-2 METRES (3-6 FEET).
• AVOID ACTIVITIES WHICH EXPOSE YOU TO LARGE GROUPS OF
PEOPLE.

9. AVOID EXPOSURE
• WORK FROM HOME, WHERE POSSIBLE.
• AVOID NON-ESSENTIAL TRAVEL
• CLEAN AND DISINFECT FREQUENTLY TOUCHED
SURFACES EACH DAY, MORE OFTEN IF YOU THINK
THEY’VE BEEN CONTAMINATED. USE NORMAL CLEANING
SUPPLIES.
• KEEP AWAY FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE SICK – DON’T LET
THEM COUGH OR SNEEZE ON YOU.
• AVOID VISITING HOSPITALS AND OTHER MEDICAL
FACILITIES UNLESS YOU NEED MEDICAL CARE.