COVID-19 trivia: Facts about the pandemic

COVID-19 testing in Mumbai. Pic: Satej Shinde

It's been a year since the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared COVID-19 as a pandemic and India imposed a coronavirus lockdown on March 22, 2020. During the lockdown, new words such as quarantine, social distancing, asymptomatic and comorbidity became a part of our daily vocabulary. We also learned a lot about the COVID-19 virus during the lockdown.

As the world still grapples with the spread of the deadly virus, here's a look at some interesting facts about COVID-19

What is COVID-19?
According to World Health Organisation (WHO) COVID-19 is caused by a new coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2. WHO first learned of this new virus in December 2019 after cluster of cases were reported in Wuhan province of China.

Which tests are used to detect COVID-19?
Two most common tests to detect COVID-19 infection are RT-PCR test and antigen test.

A Polymerase chain reaction test (PCR) is a molecular test used to determine if you are infected by SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this test, a swab is used to collect samples from the nose and throat of the person getting tested. These tests can be done in a clinic, hospital and authorised health centres. You can also get your samples collected at home and send it to the lab for analysis. Generally it takes 2-3 days to get the test results but sometimes results can be obtained in 24 hours.

WHO says, Rapid antigen tests (sometimes known as a rapid diagnostic test - RDT) detect viral proteins (known as antigens). Samples are collected from the nose and/or throat with a swab. These tests are cheaper than PCR and will offer results more quickly, although they are generally less accurate
(Source: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/coronavirus-disease-covid-19)

What are the classic sypmtoms of COVID-19?
Some of the symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, breathing trouble, dry cough, fatigue and loss of smell and taste. Symptoms begin one to fourteen days after exposure to the virus.

Who are most vulnerable to COVID-19?

-Senior citizens over 60
-Health workers who come directly in contact with infected people
-People with underlying health conditions such as the highly diabetics, people with heart ailments and patients with respiratory ailments are vulnerable to the virus

What is asymptomatic case of COVID-19?
An asymptomatic case refers to any individual who has contracted the COVID-19 virus but do not have the symptoms

What do we know about COVID-19 vaccines in India?
The drug regulatory authority in January 2021, formally approved the 'emergency use' of two COVID-19 vaccines in India: the AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India and Covaxin made by a Hyderabad-based firm Bharat Biotech International.

What does vaccine efficacy mean?
Vaccine efficacy usually refers to the performance of the vaccine in a clinical trial. In a controlled environment, scientists calculate efficacy by observing the percentage reduction of the disease in a group of volunteers who have been vaccinated as compared to a group which has not been vaccinated.
For example - what does is mean when we say that a COVID-19 vaccine has an efficacy rate of 90 per cent? It means that if you were exposed to COVID-19, the probability of you getting infected would be 90 per cent less if you have been vaccinated as compared to a person who has not been vaccinated