Coronavirus COVID-19 Statistics – The World and Turkey

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* - Breaking coronavirus scientific developments *

Important Terms About the New Coronavirus

• Wuhan virus: the name used in the press when the virus first emerged. China made considerable efforts to eliminate this name.
• 2019-ncov: “2019 novel coronavirus.” The first, temporary scientific name of the Wuhan virus.
• SARS-CoV-2: after genetic sequencing, the new coronavirus was found to be %80 similar to the SARS coronavirus. Its name was therefore changed. It stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus-2. This names the virus, not the disease.
• COVID-19: the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Standing for CoronaVirus Disease 2019, it is the disease occurring after SARS-CoV-2 infection. You can contract SARS-CoV-2 without developing this disease. Many people recover without signs or symptoms.

This is why the global situation is so critical and has become the greatest crisis of our era... Unless everyone strictly follows staying home except to work and obtain basic necessities, the outbreak may become months of compulsory home confinement and cases in our country may rise exponentially. Pay attention to hygiene, maintain social distance, and wear a mask!

The new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is:

• Highly contagious (transmitted even before symptoms begin, and these people spread the disease most),
• more deadly than influenza, and
• a virus our immune system has never encountered before.

What Kills Coronavirus When Washing Hands? What Is the Advantage of Soap and Water?

How Deadly Is COVID-19 Infection “Really”?

Research so far suggests COVID-19's actual fatality may be lower than the currently calculated %4,7 among confirmed diagnoses by 20 times. This is because many asymptomatic / symptom-free COVID-19 patients are still not tested. COVID-19's fatality may thus be %0,1 - 0,2. It may be higher in metropolitan areas, older populations, or places less meticulous about precautions. If %80 of the world's people encounter the virus within 2 years, approximately 6 billion could be infected and 6 - 12 million could die.

• Worldwide, 213 countries have seen cases, some not internationally recognized.
• Among those over 80, mortality exceeds % 15, while below 50 it is under % 0.4.
• Time from symptom onset to death: 14 days (incubation can extend to 27 days ).
• Mild / moderate cases account for %80
• 1 person infects an average of 2.6 people; without isolating the infected person, 1 person after 30 days may infect up to 400 people. The transmission rate called R0 is approximately 4 times faster than seasonal influenza.

- Related topic: Of those hospitalized for COVID-19, %40 are under 55 – Do not say nothing happens to young people!

First, a Reminder

Coronavirus is most contagious before symptoms begin and during the first week of infection. Therefore, reduce social contact, wash hands frequently, and find and isolate cases through testing.

Everyone Outside Their Home Should Wear a Mask to Protect Against COVID-19

Video explanation: The primary person-to-person transmission route is aerosols or small droplets generated by breathing, sneezing, or coughing. The main route is droplets, followed by aerosols, whose role remains unclear. A face mask can effectively reduce the spread of exhaled air, as shown in the video. Schlieren imaging visualizes airflow from breathing and coughing. A mask blocks outgoing airflow and effectively reduces infection risk.

Research suggests the new coronavirus can remain viable in aerosols for 3 hours, on cardboard for 24 hours, and on plastic-steel for 2-3 days. Therefore, protection from the outbreak rests on the two most important precautions : first, avoid social contact and stay home; second, follow hygiene rules. Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms, fever, cough, or breathing difficulty, and a chronic disease such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, or diabetes should contact their care team.

Where Is New Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Testing Performed in Turkey?

All public and private hospitals can collect samples, which are sent for testing to laboratories designated by the Ministry.

Should I Be Tested for SARS-CoV-2?

Previously, testing covered people arriving from high-risk countries within the previous 14 days who had fever, cough, or breathlessness. Now, regardless of foreign travel or contact with a traveler, a cough may mean the virus. Everyone in this category should be tested. All health workers contacting a patient should also receive at least a rapid antibody screening test.

There Are Two Main Tests for Diagnosing the New Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2:

1. Polymerase chain reaction (Polymerase Chain Reaction = PCR) and
2. Rapid diagnostic tests

PCR testingscreens a nasopharyngeal sample, a nose and throat swab, for the viral genome, which for coronavirus is RNA. The procedure takes 45 - 90 dk. It is also called a molecular diagnostic test .

Rapid diagnostic tests screen the virus's antigensor the human immune system response, which produces antibodies . Rapid tests use nose and throat swabs or blood. Swabs look for viral antigen; blood tests look for antibodies against the virus. Figure 1: Below are coronavirus test types and the samples used.

To identify the virus causing COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, the “gold standard,” the most accurate method, is PCR. Rapid tests are less reliable than current molecular PCR testing, so will be used mainly as screening tests . Until now, our country used PCR only, but it cannot support very high daily testing numbers. Rapid screening is therefore being introduced: first a rapid test, then molecular confirmation for positive results. Their introduction will allow as many tests as possible.

Related topic: How is coronavirus testing done? What are PCR and rapid diagnostic test types?

Most people infected with the new coronavirus experience no symptoms but remain contagious during this period. We should therefore not wait for symptoms before testing, but health systems currently lack capacity for so many tests. This again highlights social distancing and staying home!

As long as infected people continue circulating in society and on the streets, we cannot control the virus. Everyone contacting a positive-tested person should be tested, regardless of symptoms.

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What Measures Are Taken Against Pandemic Diseases?

National measures against a pandemic require substantial planning and coordination. In general, the most effective approach to controlling a pandemic is a three-stage plan . These stages are:

1. Containment (containment): The main aim is to prevent spread within national borders as far as possible. Restricting foreign visitors and quarantining patients are measures at this stage.
2. Delay (delay): Disease has begun spreading domestically. School closures and cancellation of crowded events aim to control spread.
3. Mitigation (mitigation): The disease is now a local pandemic. The most effective measures focus on severely ill patients' treatment and minimizing societal harm.

Turkey currently applies “delay” stage measures.

Below is a comparison of Italy, testing only symptomatic people, and South Korea, testing broadly. Many young Italians who did not feel ill spread the virus. Our country faces this risk now: government measures are being introduced, but the perception that “the disease does not kill young people” leads some to consider themselves safe and freely socialize. Please do not do this.

Criteria for moving between stages may vary by country.

What Are Isolation and Quarantine? How Do They Differ?

These terms become common during infectious disease outbreaks. Following the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19), many articles use them, sometimes interchangeably even in apparently scientific writing. Let us examine their different meanings:

• Isolation: separates people with a contagious disease from those who are not ill.
• Quarantine: separates and restricts movements of people exposed to a contagious disease to see whether they become ill.
• The Main Difference: isolation separates an infected person from the public to keep others safe. Quarantine places someone believed exposed to a virus or disease in a protected environment to determine whether they are actually infected.

Thus, in our country, a person arriving from abroad should be quarantined for 14 days or self-quarantine. Countries need isolation and quarantine centers to fight outbreaks and pandemics. These centers must have different characteristics and locations…

The Interesting History of the Word Quarantine:

The word originated in Italian, in Venice. “Quaranta” means 40; quarantena.

The Republic of Venice, 672 years ago, as a precaution against an epidemic killing a third of Europe in 3 years, Black Death required arriving ships to wait offshore for 40 days.

Venice was the first place in Italy to declare quarantine for the new coronavirus outbreak.

“History repeats itself” or “Those who cannot learn from history are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana).

What Are the Signs and Symptoms of the New Coronavirus Infection?

Reported COVID-19 symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty breathing with mild to severe respiratory illness. On 4 March 2020, the leading medical journal NEJMpublished “Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease in China” . According to this article, Covid-19 confirmed by laboratory testing in 1099 patients presented as follows:

• Median age was 47; % 41.9 of patients were female.
• Severe clinical outcomes developed in % 6.1: % 5 entered intensive care, % 2.3 required mechanical ventilation, and % 1.4 died.
• Only % 1.9 had direct wildlife contact histories.
• Of patients, % 72.3 contacted Wuhan residents, where the outbreak began, and % 31.3 visited the city.
• Most common symptoms were fever (% 43.8 on admission and % 88.7 during hospitalization) and cough (% 67.8). Diarrhea was rare (% 3.8).
• Median incubation was 4 days (interquartile range, 2 to 7).
• On presentation, ground-glass opacity was the most common chest CT finding (% 56.4). Of 877 patients, 157 had no radiographic or CT abnormality.
• At presentation,% 83.2 had lymphocytopenia, a low white blood cell count.

Journal of Medical Virologypublished another analysis of hospitalized coronavirus-infected patients, 50 thousand 466 in total:

• Fever frequency %89.1
• Cough %72.2
• Muscle pain / fatigue %42.5
• ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome) frequency %14.8
• Abnormal CT (computed tomography) findings at diagnosis %96.6
• Severe cases %18.1
• Mortality 4.3

In other words, feveroccurs in almost all hospitalized coronavirus cases (out of every 10 cases, 9).

What Is Coronavirus?

Coronavirus (also written corona virus) is a lipid-enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus. It can infect birds and mammals, including humans, usually causing mild upper respiratory infections such as colds. However, coronaviruses previously also caused MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) and SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), deadly infections.

This virus caused a pneumonia outbreak first reported in December 2019 in China, in the central part of Hubei Province, in Wuhan . Experts attributed the outbreak to a new coronavirus that spread within China and abroad.

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on 11 February 2020 that the disease caused by the new coronavirus was named COVID-19 .

What Is 2019 Novel Coronavirus?

SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19is a new respiratory virus first identified in China's Hubei Province, Wuhan.

What Does a Novel Coronavirus Mean?

A novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a previously unidentified coronavirus. SARS-CoV-2 is the same as commonly circulating human coronaviruses causing mild illness such as colds: it is not.

A diagnosis of coronavirus 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is not the same as COVID-19. They are different viruses, and COVID-19 patients will be assessed and treated differently from those with common coronaviruses.

“Novel” means the virus mutated, and a virus's chance of mutation is 10 thousand to 1. The same applies to human cells, but mutated cells are repaired, undergo programmed death, or, rarely, accumulate mutations and become cancerous. Viruses lack these DNA repair mechanisms. Mutation enabled the new coronavirus to attach to human cells and infect humans.

Unlike common cold coronaviruses, the new coronavirus can cause pneumonia progressing to ARDS, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and death. Its fatality has been estimated at % 2-3 ; among patients sick enough for hospitalization, around %15.

The SARS outbreak originating in China 17 years ago infected approximately 8000 worldwide and killed nearly 800.

Previous severe outbreaks had fatality rates for SARS of % 10-15 and MERS of %25-30. However, fatality is not the sole determinantof an outbreak's severity. Ebola, for example, kills nearly % 40-50 but has not spread worldwide because even Ebola cannot infect everyone. People's DNA and DNA-derived cell-surface proteins differ. Coronavirus, for example, binds ACE2 cell-surface receptors. If personal DNA differences alter receptor structure, infection may not occur. These personal genetic variations also explain why some people exposed to HIV, the cause of AIDS, do not contract HIV.

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How Did the New Coronavirus Outbreak Emerge (What Is COVID-19's Origin)?

Intensive research is investigating the source of 2019-nCoV. Coronaviruses are a large virus family causing diseases circulating among humans and animals, including camels, cats, and bats. Genetic tree analysis continues to seek its source.

The outbreak beginning in China, the COVID-19 epidemic, has been linked to Chinese consumption of wild or exotic animals such as snakes and bats, but this is unclear. Coronaviruses normally found in snakes and bats do not infect humans, but the virus is thought to have undergone mutation and become transmissible to humans. Another, partly speculative, claim is that SARS-CoV-2 is a laboratory virus. China has advanced laboratories capable of modifying viral genetics. The claim rests on alleged genetic fragments from other viruses, for example, HIV, in the new coronavirus genome.

According to a statement on 10 February 2020, the source may be a mammal called the pangolin:

Pangolins are tried in Traditional Chinese Medicine as aphrodisiacs / natural Viagra. South China Agricultural University's 2 researchers said they considered this animal a possible outbreak source.

SARS, another coronavirus emerging to infect humans, came from civet cats; MERS came from camels.

How Does Coronavirus Spread?

The virus probably began from an animal source, but person-to-person spread is now clear. Transmission may occur continuously. Infected people can transmit the virus before showing symptoms . Experts also suggest continued transmission for approximately 1 week after symptoms disappear. Some viruses, like measles, are highly contagious; others less so. How easily or sustainably this one spreads remains uncertain. For a numerical estimate, 1 carrier infects an average of 3.8 people, while influenza is around 1 to 1.

Is SARS-CoV-2 the Same as MERS-CoV or SARS?

No. Coronaviruses are a large family causing diseases among humans and animals, including camels, cats, and bats. Newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 differs from the coronaviruses causing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Genetic analysis nevertheless indicates emergence from a SARS-related virus. Research continues.

How Do Coronavirus and Influenza Differ?

Historically, influenza caused far more serious outbreaks because it undergoes mutation even during human-to-human transmission . Its greater ability to mutate allows reinfection within the same outbreak and, in this respect, it can be considered more dangerous than coronavirus . This has not been observed with coronavirus; SARS from 10 years ago remains genetically the same as current SARS.

Am I at Risk from Shipping Packages or Products?

Much remains unknown about the new 2019 coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and its spread. Two previous coronaviruses caused serious human illness, MERS and SARS. SARS-CoV-2 is genetically closer to SARS than MERS, but both are bat-origin betacoronaviruses. Though uncertain whether it behaves identically, both predecessors can guide us. In general, these coronaviruses' poor survival on surfaces and in dry environments makes transmission from products or packaging shipped for days or weeks at ambient temperatures very unlikely. Coronaviruses are thought most commonly to spread through respiratory droplets . There is currently no evidence supporting SARS-CoV-2 transmission through imported goods.

If You Have Fever, Cough, or Shortness of Breath

• Seek medical help immediately. Call before visiting a doctor or emergency department and explain recent travel and symptoms.
• Avoid contact with others.
• Do not travel while ill.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your arm, not your hands, when coughing or sneezing.
• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to prevent spread. If unavailable, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least % 60 alcohol.

SARS-CoV-2 and Animals: What About Imported Animals or Animal Products?

No evidence shows animals or animal products imported from China pose a SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk. This situation is rapidly evolving, and information will be updated as available.

Can a Pneumonia Vaccine Protect Against COVID-19 Lung Damage?

The coronavirus is entirely new, never previously encountered by our immune system. An excessive immune response therefore sends many fighting cells to the lungs. In many critical or fatal cases, the problem is not bacterial infection but invasion of the lungs by our own immune system. Median case age is 51, meaning half are below 50. Existing pneumonia vaccines are therefore thought not to protect against such new viral outbreak-related lung injury or to offer minimal benefit.

How Is COVID-19 Treated?

No specific virus-targeting drug has yet been developed to “treat” COVID-19 infection. Mild cases receive symptomatic treatment. Pneumonia cases receive hospitalization, broad antimicrobial therapy, and oxygen. Corticosteroids are avoided unless essential for another condition.

The Current Status of Preventive Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) Vaccines Is:

Scientists are studying ways to provide against the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) immunity through 8 different approaches. Against SARS-CoV-2, teams at companies and universities worldwide are developing over 90 vaccines, trying technologies some never used in licensed / approved vaccines. At least 6 groups have begun safety trials (phase-I clinical trial ) injecting volunteers with candidates, while others have begun animal tests.

Related news:

Coronavirus vaccine candidate production began, targeting 2 billion doses

The coronavirus vaccine closest to approval: Moderna mRNA-1273

The infographic poster below summarizes first how immunity develops without coronavirus vaccination (active immunization), then through a vaccine (passive immunization), and the approaches tested for vaccine development:

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