How COVID-19 works
First, some body basics.
Every part of our body is made up of very small parts called cells. These cells stay healthy and nourished by getting what they need from our blood stream and pushing out toxins.
There are even smaller organisms like bacteria and viruses which we ingest or bring into our bodies in other ways. There are some that are harmful and some that are helpful.
A virus is a microscopic organism that is able get inside a human (host) cell, quickly reproduce, spread, and cause disease. Viruses are spread in a variety of ways, including sneezing, coughing and talking.
+ What’s a coronavirus?
Coronavirus is the name for a group of viruses that look the same. The word comes from the Spanish (or latin word) for Crown (corona), meaning that all coronaviruses have spikes (like on a crown).
+ What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is a newly identified coronavirus that emerged in late 2019. Also called SARS-CoV-2, it typically causes mild to moderate illnesses. However, in some cases it causes sicknesses severe enough to need care in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
+ Why are Black women at higher risk of dying from COVID-19?
- Black women are a significant part of the front-line workforce (e.g. hospitality, retail and health care). Many of these positions require close interaction with the public, are often low paid and without paid sick leave.
- Black women disproportionately confront the reality of not being believed by health care providers.
- Black women are more likely to live in high density areas where social distancing is not feasible.
- Black women are the primary care-takers of those in their community because of gender and race oppression.
+ What's the coronavirus disease?
Coronaviruses cause respiratory disease in humans. There are many different kinds of coronavirus, including four different kinds that cause mild sickness (like the common cold).
+ What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Symptoms may include, but are not limited to, chills, muscle or body pain, fatigue, headache, sore throat, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, congestion or runny nose, or new loss of taste or smell.
+ How does COVID-19 spread?
The COVID-19 virus is transmitted when respiratory droplets are expelled as a person talks, coughs, or sneezes and another person inhales enough of those respiratory droplets (which have virus in it) into their lungs.
At the beginning, many scientists, warned us that COVID might also be spread when people come into contact with droplets containing the virus by touching surfaces where the droplets are, and then touching their faces. Although this can still happen, it is now considered much less likely because of the amount of viral load needed to become ill.