The world has been in a state of shock ever since the discovery of the Coronavirus December last year. COVID-19 stands for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Yeah, the “19” was derived from the year it was discovered).

NOTE: Covid-19 is the name of the disease, not the name of the causative organism.
The organism that causes the disease is Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

The virus usually causes mild respiratory disease much like common cold but in a small number of cases (1 in 6 persons), the virus travels far into the lungs, then the bloodstream and then damages other organs. Organs that can be damaged include: heart, kidneys, liver, intestines, etc.

The Coronavirus surprisingly causes the body to fight against its own self thereby destroying healthy tissues.

How? You ask.

IMAGINE: a troop of soldiers is sent to fight against terrorists who have mingled with the civilian population. In fighting against the terrorists, the soldiers would inadvertently injure the civilians too. That is, there would be civilian casualties. A similar thing happens in the body.

Put another way, COVID-19 can damage the whole body.


How Coronavirus Enter the Body
The virus causing COVID-19 can enter the body through the nose, eyes and mouth.

The virus attaches to cells that have a specific receptor called ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING 2 (ACE2) enzyme receptor.
Think of a cell as a skyscraper. How do you get to the top floor? THROUGH AN ELEVATOR of course!

A RECEPTOR is like an ELEVATOR.
The virus attaches to the receptor and the receptor then carries it INTO the cell!

#3 NOVEL THINGS ABOUT COVID-19
#1 There is no vaccine for it yet
The flu (also called seasonal influenza) has been around for some time. So our bodies have developed immunity to it. More so, there is a vaccine for flu.

Not so with the new Coronavirus.

It is a new virus on the block, so we don’t have immunity for it yet. Much less, no vaccine and no cure!

#2 It damages the whole body
Majority of cases present with mild symptoms such as fever, dry cough, difficulty in breathing, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, loss of taste and smell.

It may even present with runny nose, fatigue. Other symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, lack of appetite, redness of eyes, rashes, tingling sensations in the body have not yet been confirmed.

However, the virus can damage many organs. http://triplyfree.com/2020/07/03/warning-coronavirus-covid-19-is-more-dangerous-than-flu-3-things-you-must-know-about-covid-19-2-is-revealing/