Causes And Transmission Of Cononaviruses

Viruses are nasty little things. They travel in all sorts of ways and wreak havoc on the bodies that they infect. They are difficult to defeat once your body is infected, so it is essential to understand not just what they are, but how they’re transmitted as well. This knowledge can help you prevent illness in yourself and others. It is always essential to take precautions for yourself and esspecitally to prevent the transmission of viruses to highly susceptible populations, such as the very young, very old, and individuals who are already sick with another illness that compromises their immune systems. Coronaviruses are especially common and important to understand.

Group Of Viruses

Coronaviruses are not just one type of virus, but a group of viruses that cause a variety of illnesses. They are named for the 'corona' or 'crown' of protrusions on the surface of the virus. They affect the respiratory systems of mammals most often, but they can cause gut troubles as well. Six coronaviruses affect humans currently known to scientists, one of which causes the common cold. Coronaviruses are also responsible for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The six coronaviruses that affect humans often go through mutations as they spread across the population, making it possible for individuals to be infected and reinfected by the same basic type of coronavirus that has mutated since the last time the individual was infected.

Prevention is the key to stopping the spread of these infections, and understanding how they spread is the key to prevention.

Coughing And Sneezing

Coronaviruses can spread through the air on the droplets that come out of the mouth and nose during sneezing. This is why it is so important to fully and properly cover the mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing, especially when an individual is knowingly infected or showing symptoms of illness. The old way of covering, using hands to cover the mouth and nose, is less effective at stopping droplets from coming out and actually promoted the spread of viruses. The currently accepted method of covering is to cough or sneeze into the elbow. It may look silly at times, but it is effective at trapping viruses before they have a chance to spread to others. The best way to trap viruses would be in a separate tissue, then dispose of the tissue and eliminate the viruses.

Continue reading to get familiar with the next method of transmission of coronaviruses.