About Corona

Number of Shots: 2 shots, 21 days apart

 What Is Corona?

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus.

Most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.  Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are more likely to develop serious illness.

The best way to prevent and slow down transmission is to be well informed about the COVID-19 virus, the disease it causes and how it spreads. Protect yourself and others from infection by washing your hands or using an alcohol based rub frequently and not touching your face. 

The COVID-19 virus spreads primarily through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose when an infected person coughs or sneezes, so it’s important that you also practice respiratory etiquette (for example, by coughing into a flexed elbow).

About COVID-19

COVID-19 is a dangerous disease caused by a virus discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. It is very contagious and has quickly spread around the world.

COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, a flu, or pneumonia, but COVID-19 can also harm other parts of the body.

• Most people who catch COVID-19 have mild symptoms, but some people become severely ill.
• Older adults and people who have certain underlying medical conditions are at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
• Hundreds of thousands of people have died from COVID-19 in the United States.
• Vaccines against COVID-19 are safe and effective

About the name

On February 11, 2020, the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease: coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated COVID-19. ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, is a coronavirus. The word corona means crown and refers to the appearance that coronaviruses get from the spike proteins sticking out of them.

How COVID-19 Spreads

COVID-19 spreads when an infected person breathes out droplets and very small particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouth. In some circumstances, they may contaminate surfaces they touch. People who are closer than 6 feet from the infected person are most likely to get infected.

COVID-19 is spread in three main ways:

• Breathing in air when close to an infected person who is exhaling small droplets and particles that contain the virus.
• Having these small droplets and particles that contain virus land on the eyes, nose, or mouth, especially through splashes and sprays like a cough or sneeze.
• Touching eyes, nose, or mouth with hands that have the virus on them.

What are the symptoms of Coronavirus?

The symptoms of coronavirus infections in general are:

• Cough
• Fever
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Headache

The specific symptoms of COVID-19 are: 

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

Different types of COVID-19 tests explained

Antigen tests

Until now, the majority of rapid diagnostic tests have been antigen tests. They are taken with a nasal or throat swab and detect a protein that is part of the coronavirus. These tests are particularly useful for identifying a person who is at or near peak infection. Antigen tests are less expensive and generally faster. The downside is that they can be less accurate.

“You don’t need complex and expensive test kits to detect the antigens,” Tran said. “That makes them cheaper and faster. The problem is, there is a little lag time between when someone gets infected and when the antigens show up.”

That means, if a person is not near peak infection – but is still contagious – the tests may come back negative. Depending on the quality of the antigen test and the test takers, false negatives could be as high as 20%.

“Here’s a good way to look at this,” Tran said. “The coronavirus replicates itself by putting its genetic material inside our cells. If you’re testing that person at the stage when the virus is still replicating inside the cells, it has not produced sufficient protein or shed in large enough amounts to be detected yet by antigen testing.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised people who show COVID-19 symptoms but test negative with a rapid antigen test to get a PCR test to confirm the results.

Positive antigen tests are considered much more accurate, but they still can produce false positives. The concern, Tran said, is false positives could be caused by the presence of other viruses, improper collection techniques, or other substances produced by the body during infection interfering with the results. However, he said, antigen testing technology continues to improve.

Molecular/PCR tests

This is another area where there is some confusion. Not all molecular tests use the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), but PCR serves as the mainstay of COVID-19 diagnostic testing. PCR has also become a common shorthand in many media reports.

Molecular tests detect genetic material – the RNA – of the coronavirus and are sensitive enough to need only a very tiny amount of it.

Until now, the best PCR tests generally required trained personnel, specific reagents and expensive machines. 

The sensitivity of molecular methods can be a double-edged sword. In some cases, it can still detect the virus’ genetic material after a patient has recovered from a COVID-19 infection and is no longer contagious.

“PCR is considered the gold standard for many viruses we’ve seen in the past,” Tran said. “But we can’t be certain with SARS-CoV-2. Clearly, we have a lot to learn about this virus and we are all learning in real time.”

Antibody tests

These are not considered diagnostic tests that can determine if someone has an active COVID-19 infection. They use blood samples to look for antibodies produced by a person’s immune system to help fight off COVID-19.

These can detect if someone had a past COVID-19 infection but not if they still are positive for the virus. Tran said antibody tests may have more value once an effective vaccine becomes available.

Different COVID-19 Vaccines

The best COVID-19 vaccine is the first one that is available to you. Do not wait for a specific brand. All currently authorized and recommended COVID-19 vaccines:

• are safe,
• are effective, and
• reduce your risk of severe illness.

CDC does not recommend one vaccine over another.

Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine

General Information

Name: BNT162b2

Manufacturer: Pfizer, Inc., and BioNTech

Type of Vaccine: mRNA

Number of Shots: 2 shots, 21 days apart

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine 

General Information

Name: mRNA-1273

Manufacturer: ModernaTX, Inc.

Type of Vaccine: mRNA

Number of Shots: 2 shots, 28 days apart

How Given: Shot in the muscle of the upper arm

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 Vaccine 

General Information

Name: JNJ-78436735

Manufacturer: Janssen Pharmaceuticals Companies of Johnson & Johnson

Type of Vaccine: Viral Vector

Number of Shots: 1 shot

How Given: Shot in the muscle of the upper arm