As you know that the whole of world is affected due to COVID-19 and just within a span of last three months more than 298 thousand people have already lost their life. The USA is one of the countries where maximum number of people has died.
Viruses are usually very tiny organism, which can only be seen through microscope and you can find them almost anywhere in this earth. There are many different kinds of viruses available and each of them can affect us differently.
Ever since COVID-19 has become pandemic, the consumption of masks has increased tremendously and as a result demand for respiratory masks in bulk quantity has tremendously increased.
Let us know few facts about viruses:
- They are living organisms which cannot replicate without taking support of host cell.
- Virus cannot be cured but with the help of proper vaccination, its spreading can be prevented.
- Viruses are the most widespread biological species of this planet.
- There are many diseases caused due to virus including COVID-19.
Once the virus enters inside the cell, viral enzymes will take over the entire enzymes of the host cell and start making its copies and few new viral proteins will be generated by using genetic instruction of virus and also cell’s enzyme machinery.
Once new viruses are generated, they will leave host cell in any one of the following two ways:
- They may break open the host and destroy host cell.
- They will pinch out from cell membrane and try to break away with piece of cell membrane which is surrounding them. However, in this way, host cell will not be destroyed.
After it is free from the host cell, then new viruses will attack other cells. One virus is able to reproduce thousands of new viruses, and thus viral infection will spread quickly all throughout the body.
Sequence that occurs if you are down with flu or cold can be a good way to demonstrate how virus really works:
- Infected person may sneeze near you.
- By inhaling the virus particle, it will enter into your nose and it will attach to cells lining of your sinuses.
- Virus attacks cells lining of your sinuses and will rapidly reproduce new viruses.
- Host cells will break, and the new viruses will spread within your bloodstream and lungs. Since you have already lost cells lining in your sinuses, fluid may flow into the nasal passages and you will get runny nose.
- Viruses present in fluid which drips down the throat and attack cells lining of your throat and you will get sore throat.
- All viruses present in your bloodstream will attack muscle cells, as a result you will have muscle aches.
The present COVID-19 virus will also enter in our body almost similar way and within few days following symptoms will show up.
- A cough
- A sore throat
- Body aches
- Chills
- Diarrhoea
- Fatigue
- Fever
- Headache
- Loss of smell or taste
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
About 90% people, all these symptoms will end with cough and fever. However, for few the infection can be severe and after 5 – 8 days they have breathing problem, which turn into ARDS after few days.