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What happens if you get infected with the coronavirus? Who’s most at risk? How can you protect yourself?

Public health expert Dr. David Heymann, who led the global response to the SARS outbreak in 2003, shares the latest findings about COVID-19 and what the future may hold. Here, he answers the 6 most common questions about the coronavirus:

Question 1: What happens if you get infected with the coronavirus?

DH: This looks like a very mild disease, like a common cold, in the majority of people. There are certain people who get infected and have very serious illness; among them are health workers. It’s a very serious infection in them, as they get a higher dose than normal people, and at the same time, they have no immunity. So in the general population, it’s likely that the dose of virus that you receive when you are infected is much less than the dose that a health worker would receive, health workers having more serious infections. So your infection would be less serious, hopefully. So that leaves the elderly and those with co-morbidities to really be the ones that we have to make sure are taken care of in hospitals.

Question 2: Who are the people who should be most concerned about this?

DH: Well, the most concerned are people who are, first of all, in developing countries and who don’t have access to good medical care and may not have access at all to a hospital, should an epidemic occur in their country. Those people would be at great risk, especially the elderly. Elderly in all populations are at risk, but especially those who can’t get to oxygen. In industrialized countries, it’s the very elderly who have co-morbidities, who have diabetes, who have other diseases, who are at risk. The general population doesn’t appear to be at great risk.

Question 3: What pre-existing medical conditions put people at higher risk?

DH: First of all, pulmonary disease existing as a co-morbidity is also important. In general, the elderly are at greater risk, especially those over 70, because their immune systems are not as effective as they might have once been, and they are more susceptible to infections. In addition, in some instances in China, there’s been a co-infection with influenza and at the same time, there have been some bacterial super-infections on the pneumonias that are occurring.

Question 4: Where can we find up-to-date information?

DH: The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta keeps track and has updates on a regular basis on its website. Also, the World Health Organization in Geneva, which is coordinating many of the activities going on internationally, also has a website with daily updates. It’s our responsibility to get that information as individuals, so we understand and can make sure that we can contribute in our own way to prevention of major spread.

Question 5: What questions about the outbreak remain unanswered?

DH: It’s clear we know how it transmits, we don’t know how easily it transmits in humans, in communities or in unenclosed areas. We know, for example, that in the enclosed area of a cruise ship, it spread very easily. We need to better understand how it will spread once it gets into more open areas where people are exposed to people who might be sick.

Question 6: Is the worst behind us?

DH: I can’t predict with accuracy. So all I can say is that we must all be prepared for the worst-case scenario. And at the same time, learn how we can protect ourselves and protect others should we become a part of that epidemic.

Watch the full Talk:

Patrick Blower

We thought it might be helpful to gather some of our resources that offer valuable insights on topics being circulated in the news in relation to the COVID-19 outbreak. For example, what defines a pandemic? How can viruses be transmitted from animals to humans? And exactly what is a virus?

How pandemics spread

Dig into the history of pandemics to learn how viruses and disease spreads and what we can do to stop future outbreaks.

In our increasingly globalized world, a single infected person can board a plane and spread a virus across continents. Mark Honigsbaum describes the history of pandemics and how that knowledge can help halt future outbreaks.

How do viruses jump from animals to humans

Discover the science of how viruses can jump from one species to another and the deadly epidemics that can result from these pathogens.

At a Maryland country fair in 2017, farmers reported feverish hogs with inflamed eyes and running snouts. While farmers worried about the pigs, the department of health was concerned about a group of sick fairgoers. Soon, 40 of these attendees would be diagnosed with swine flu. How can pathogens from one species infect another, and what makes this jump so dangerous? Ben Longdon explains.

 How vaccines work

Learn the science behind how vaccines trigger an immune response and teach our bodies to recognize dangerous pathogens.

The first ever vaccine was created when Edward Jenner, an English physician and scientist, successfully injected small amounts of a cowpox virus into a young boy to protect him from the related (and deadly) smallpox virus. But how does this seemingly counterintuitive process work? Kelwalin Dhanasarnsombut details the science behind vaccines.

How does your immune system work?

Explore how your immune system’s vast network of cells, tissues, and organs coordinate your body’s defenses against bacteria, viruses and toxins.

The immune system is a vast network of cells, tissues, and organs that coordinate your body’s defenses against any threats to your health. Without it, you’d be exposed to billions of bacteria, viruses, and toxins that could make something as minor as a paper cut or a seasonal cold fatal. So how does it work? Emma Bryce takes you inside the body to find out.

Cell vs. Virus: A battle for health

How does your body fight a virus? Take a look inside your cells to witness how they produce antibodies and fight to keep you healthy.

All living things are made of cells. In the human body, these highly efficient units are protected by layer upon layer of defense against icky invaders like the cold virus. Shannon Stiles takes a journey into the cell, introducing the microscopic arsenal of weapons and warriors that play a role in the battle for your health.

Learning from smallpox: How to eradicate a disease

Find out how smallpox became the first (and only) disease to be permanently eradicated through the use of vaccination and isolation to prevent transmission.

For most of human history, we have sought to treat and cure diseases. But only in recent decades did it become possible to ensure that a particular disease never threatens humanity again. Julie Garon and Walter A. Orenstein detail how the story of smallpox – the first and only disease to be permanently eliminated – shows how disease eradication can happen, and why it is so difficult to achieve.

The surprising reason you feel awful when you’re sick

What actually makes you feel sick? Discover how your immune system and proteins called cytokines respond to infections.

It starts with a tickle in your throat that becomes a cough. Your muscles begin to ache, you grow irritable, and you lose your appetite. It’s official: you’ve got the flu. It’s logical to assume that this miserable medley of symptoms is the result of the infection coursing through your body — but is that really the case? Marco A. Sotomayor explains what’s actually making you feel sick.