1. What is a novel coronavirus?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses found in both animals and humans. Some infect people and are known to cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).
2. What is Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
"Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)" is the disease caused by a new coronavirus called “SARS-CoV-2”.
3. What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
The most common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, dry cough and fatigue. Other symptoms include loss of taste or smell, nasal congestion, conjunctivitis, sore throat, headache, muscle or joint pain, skin rash, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, chills or dizziness. Some people may only have very mild or non-specific symptoms, while some may develop severe symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain or confusion.
Complications may include respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), sepsis and septic shock, thromboembolism, and/or multi-organ failure including injury of the heart, liver or kidneys. There are reports that children and adolescents with COVID-19 may develop a rare but serious condition known as multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), leading to multiorgan failure and shock.
People of older age and those with underlying medical problems (e.g. hypertension, heart and lung problems, diabetes, obesity or cancer) are at higher risk of developing serious illness.
According to the information from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 10-20% of people may continue to experience mid- and long-term effects of COVID-19, which are collectively known as “Post COVID-19 condition,” or “Long COVID”. Common symptoms of long COVID include fatigue, shortness of breath, cognitive dysfunction, headache, pain (e.g. chest pain, joint pain) and may have an impact on everyday functioning. There may be multi-organ effects or autoimmune conditions particularly in children. Symptoms may be new onset following initial recovery from an acute COVID-19 episode or persist from the initial illness. Symptoms may also fluctuate (change from time to time) or relapse (return of symptoms after period of improvement) over time. Although it is still unclear how long the symptoms may last, current research suggests that patients can improve with time. Some studies reported that long COVID is found more often in people who had severe COVID-19 illness, but anyone (including those with mild illness) can experience this condition after infected with COVID-19. According to WHO, COVID-19 vaccination can reduce incidence of long COVID. Some studies also suggested vaccinated persons are less likely to develop long COVID even they get infected, compared to the unvaccinated.
4. What is the mode of transmission of COVID-19?
Mode of transmission includes through respiratory droplets, contact of contaminated surfaces or objects, short-range aerosol or short-range airborne transmission. The virus can also spread in poorly ventilated and/or crowded indoor settings.
5. What is incubation period? How long is it for COVID-19?
The "incubation period" means the time between catching the virus and beginning to have symptoms of the disease. Most estimates of the incubation period range from 1 to 14 days, and some variants, such as the Omicron variant, may have even shorter incubation period of around 3 days.
6. What is the treatment for COVID-19?
Treatment includes supportive therapy, symptomatic treatment, antiviral agents and Chinese medicine.
COVID-19 vaccination
Health advice
Members of the public are also advised to maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene at all times for personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community:
8. What are the advice on health measures for persons tested positive?
Persons tested positive for COVID-19 should take heed of the health advice below:
9. What is the function of a mask?
Face mask provides a physical barrier to fluids and large particle droplets. Surgical mask is a type of face mask commonly used. Choose an appropriate size to completely cover nose, mouth and chin without gaps. Attain good seal with the face by minimising air leak from edges.
Most surgical masks adopt a three-layer design which includes an outer fluid-repelling layer, a middle layer serves as a barrier to germs, and an inner moisture-absorbing layer. Mask without the above functions is not recommended as it cannot provide adequate protection against infectious diseases transmitted by respiratory droplets. Masks with exhalation valve or vents which allow exhaling air to escape should not be used due to the fact that exhaled air are unfiltered and may pose a risk to surrounding people if the wearer is infected with COVID-19 or other respiratory infectious diseases.
The general indications for wearing a surgical mask include:
10. Can young children wear a face mask?
Choose the appropriate mask size. Child size is available for selection as indicated:
11. What are the other measures to prevent respiratory tract infection other than wearing a mask?
The following preventive measures, apart from wearing a well-fitted surgical mask, should be emphasised:
12. After cleaning the hands with water and liquid soap, how should the faucet be turned off?
When the hands are cleaned, do not touch the water tap directly again. For example, one may use a paper towel to wrap the faucet before turn it off.
13. If there is no water and liquid soap, can I use alcohol-based handrub instead?
If your hands are not visibly soiled, you can use 70 to 80% alcohol-based handrub. It can effectively prevent cross transmission of infectious diseases via hands.
The hand rubbing technique of using alcohol-based handrub is similar to hand washing. Use sufficient amount, around 3 to 5 ml of alcohol-based handrub to cover all surfaces of your hands. Rub our palms, back of hands, finger webs, back of fingers, thumbs, finger tips, and wrists. Rub hands for at least 20 seconds until your hands are dry. Let the alcohol dry on your hands, do not wipe it off with paper towel. Check the expiry date of alcohol-based handrub before using.
Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissues into a lidded rubbish bin, then wash hands thoroughly. If tissue paper is not available, you can cover your mouth and nose with your blouse or upper sleeve.
15. Why is it important to properly maintain drainage pipes and regularly re-fill U-traps?
U-traps serve to stop foul smells and unhygienic substances (including bacteria and viruses) in the drainage system from entering living areas. Defective or dried U-traps could negate this important function.
Pour half a litre of water into each drain outlet every week. Besides, one should regularly inspect their drainage pipes, U-traps and sanitary fittings and arrange immediate repair if damage is found.
16. Should consumers sanitise food packaging?
The risk of acquiring the novel coronavirus through food packaging is very low. In fact, contaminated hands play a significant role in facilitating indirect contact transmission by transferring the infectious virus from one surface to another and even into one’s body. Instead of food packaging, transmission is more likely to happen in contact with certain high-touch points, such as door handles, handles of the shopping trolleys and water taps – the more frequently being touched by different people the higher the risk that it becomes contaminated. Therefore, while some people may still opt to disinfect food packaging surfaces with common household disinfectants such as alcohol-based wipes or sprays if needed, it is more important for people to wash their hands thoroughly, especially before touching eyes, nose and mouth, after returning home from grocery shopping, and after handling and storing purchased products.
Points to note if disinfection of packaging would be performed:
17. What to take note of when using disinfectants?
Disinfectant and relevant equipment should be used properly. Improper use may lead to adverse health effects and environmental contamination.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that disinfectant and relevant equipment are handled and used safely and effectively. Pay particular attention to information about application and safety, such as the recommended use, concentration and contact time, items and surfaces compatible with the disinfectant, stability of the product, hazard warning, storage method and personal protective equipment required when using the product. Keep disinfectant out of reach of children and pets. To prevent accident, do not pour disinfectants into other containers with different labels.
Improper use of disinfectant and relevant equipment may lead to adverse health effects to users. The adverse health effects caused by disinfectants are dependent on several factors, such as chemical ingredients of disinfectant, exposure duration and concentration, route of exposure, the individual state of health, and environmental conditions. In general, direct contact to disinfectant may cause irritations on eye, skin and respiratory tract. It may affect the lung if inhaled, or even fatal if used incorrectly.
Keep well ventilated while using disinfectant.
Spraying of people with disinfectants is not recommended. This practice could be harmful to health and would not reduce an infected person’s ability to spread the virus.
In indoor spaces, routine application of disinfectants to environmental surfaces via spraying is generally not recommended because it is ineffective at removing contaminants outside of direct spray zones and can cause eye, respiratory, and skin irritation and other toxic effects. If disinfectants are to be applied, these should be via a cloth or wipe which is soaked in the disinfectant.