Each day new information comes out about the deadly novel coronavirus and Covid-19, the disease it causes, making it difficult to keep up with all that science has learned.
Here's a wrap-up of what has changed since the pandemic began and what you need to know now to keep you and your family safe.
What are the symptoms of Covid-19?
Fever, cough and shortness of breath: The big three are still the most common symptoms, but the list has grown over the months. We now know many common cold and flu symptoms can also play a role, such as a sore throat, headache, body and muscle aches, chills and shivers, a snotty or congested nose, intense fatigue (which can last longer than the illness), diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
New, bizarre symptoms: Skin rashes and "Covid-toes," where the toes become red and swollen from tiny blood clots, are some of the newer symptoms that may be early warning signs of Covid-19.
More early signals include pink eye (a highly contagious eye condition also known as conjunctivitis), anosmia (a loss of smell that can also lead to a loss of taste), and a sudden, new onset of confusion, even to the point of delirium.
Emergency symptoms: An inability to wake or stay awake, chest pain or pressure, new mental confusion or delirium, blue-tinged lips or any sudden or severe breathing problems can all signal an emergency, warns the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so call 911 immediately.
Who is most at risk?
Everyone: The virus can infect anyone, even babies in the womb. It's how your body responds to the virus that is the key question. The answer appears to be a complex interplay between viral load -- how much virus you were exposed to -- and your age and health.
At first, the CDC said it was seniors over 65, especially if they had an underling health condition, who were at highest risk of serious illness and death. But that's no longer true. People in their 20s, 30s and 40s -- even some children -- have collapsed and died from Covid-19 -- some when their immune systems overreacted to the virus, in what is called a "cytokine storm."
Others have been "knocked out on their back and brought to their knees pretty quick," by Covid-19, said White House adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci in an interview Thursday with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Fauci is the top infectious diseases expert in the US.
"There are many, many young people who get infected. They get sick. They feel horrible for weeks and weeks," Fauci said, adding that he has noticed young people experiencing something similar to chronic fatigue syndrome after recovering from the virus.
"Even when they clear the virus, and they test negative -- they don't have any virus -- they can feel out of sorts for weeks and weeks."
Age and health are key: Science now knows that anyone -- at any age -- with at least one chronic health condition is at greater danger from Covid-19. The risk rises with increasing age, the number of underlying medical conditions you have and whether or not you are obese (body mass index or BMI over 30).
That's a lot of people at risk: Just in America, more than 40% of the population are considered obese, according to the CDC, while some 60% of American adults have at least one chronic medical condition.
High-risk medical conditions: That list is long and growing. Currently, it includes diabetes, chronic lung disease or asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer (or are undergoing chemotherapy), organ transplants, sickle cell anemia, kidney disease with dialysis, poorly controlled HIV infection, obesity and any autoimmune disorder.
Pregnancy raises risk: Early in the pandemic, expecting mothers and their fetus or newborn were not considered at high risk.
That too has changed, as doctors have found the virus can cross the placenta to infect the fetus. We now know that women who are pregnant are 50% more likely to end up in the intensive care unit and 70% more likely to receive mechanical ventilation.
Nursing home, veteran's home, long-term care facilities: Facilities which house the older and more infirm in society are typically more crowded, with fewer staff to care for the needs of inhabitants individually. In addition, adults in these facilities are older, weaker, and likely to have multiple health issues and frail immune systems.
The toll has been devastating: In the US, nursing home residents comprised 35% of the more than 87,000 coronavirus deaths recorded as of May 15. In Belgium, France, Ireland, Canada and Norway it was over 50%.
資料來源：CNN NEWS
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