DENVER — Colorado's first COVID-19 case was announced on Thursday, March 5.
COVID-19 is a virus that first appeared in Wuhan, China in late 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough and breathing trouble. Most develop only mild symptoms. But some people, usually those with other medical complications, develop more severe symptoms, including pneumonia, which can be fatal.
Below is a list of frequently asked questions regarding COVID-19 in Colorado.
How many people have been tested for COVID-19 in Colorado?
NUMBERS: Colorado COVID-19 cases
What are the most common symptoms of COVID-19?
Fever, cough, and shortness of breath. However, you can also have more systemic symptoms of fatigue, muscle aches and headaches. Some percentage of people have nasal congestion or sore throat and a very small percentage of patients have gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea or nausea.
How do I know if my symptoms are consistent with the coronavirus or the flu or a cold?
You can’t tell based on symptoms alone. There is a significant amount of overlap in symptoms and if you suspect you may have COVID-19 or are aware that you've been exposed to the virus, you should self-quarantine if your symptoms are mild and contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms are more severe.
Do masks protect against the virus?
You should wear a mask only if you think you may have symptoms of COVID-19 in order to protect others from large respiratory droplets or if you are taking care of someone at home who has COVID-19.
However, Dr. Deborah Birx, Coronavirus Response Coordinator for the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said on March 31 that it’s now being considered if everyone out in public should wear a mask. She reminded everyone, though, to not rush out for mask because they are essential equipment for health care workers, Instead, people can make masks or use other items to cover their nose and mouth.
What is the risk to kids?
Multiple studies have reported a low rate of infection in kids. In one study of 72,314 people from the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the rate of infection in kids 1-10 years and in 10-20 years was under 1%.
In another study of 1099 people published in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), there were only 0.9% of infections in kids under 15 years. The rate of infection in kids is low, either because they are not getting the infection (have relative immunity), the symptoms are mild and therefore the infection is undetected or because they have a low risk of exposure.
Regardless of which explanation it is, the risk in kids is low. Small studies in infants who have been infected have shown a low risk of critical complications.
How long does the virus last on surfaces?
A study released from the New England Journal of Medicine states that the virus can last on surfaces like cardboard for 24 hours, on copper for 4 hours, on stainless steel and plastic for 3 days and can last in the air up to 3 hours. However, this time depends on what type of surface it is, what the environmental conditions are (temperature/humidity) and how many viral particles were inoculated on the surface.
Can a person refuse quarantine?
Denver Public Health (DPH) said there is an appeals process people can go through that would send them before a judge if they say no to quarantine.
"When we talk about quarantine, we can do it voluntarily or enforced," DPH said. "We have the city attorney approve these orders. We have to have justification for them. We have a real, specific reason that we think somebody was specifically exposed."
Who is responsible for making sure people comply with a quarantine order?
DPH said it works with local law enforcement agencies to conduct daily check-ins, but said there is an honor system component.
"We don’t go physically all the time, it depends on the level," DPH said. "If they are calling us and reporting their temperature and whatever symptoms they’re supposed to log, we can touch base with them and say, 'Hey, were you able to stay in today? Did you do anything you weren’t supposed to?' So it is a little on the honor system.”
Will there be enough bandwidth to cover internet needs as more people work from home?
Internet service providers have a good deal of bandwidth available, according to Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) Professor Steve Beaty.
"Much of our infrastructure is built out for very high bandwidth sorts of speed," Beaty said. "There is essentially fiber optics that optical cables [bring] close to most people's homes, if not into most people’s homes."
"The internet services providers — be they phone or cable — I think they have quite a bit of bandwidth available," Beaty added. "They probably haven't essentially at this point maxed out — they've overbuilt, which I think is very good...at this time."
Beaty said the trouble might be for people in remote areas of the state who already don't have access to fast internet.
When a lot of people sign on at the same time, like in the morning or evenings, there could be some internet speed slowdown, Beaty said.
What is the coronavirus, and what is COVID-19?
Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from common cold to more severe diseases, such as Middle East Repository Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV), according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
WHO said a novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified by humans.
The coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, is the name given to the disease caused by the strain of coronavirus that is responsible for the current outbreak (SARS-CoV-2).
Where did COVID-19 originate?
COVID-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China and first reported to the WHO on Dec. 31, 2019.
COVID-19 is believed to originated from animals because coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animal to human. However, health officials have not yet determined the specific species that originated the virus.
Who is at the highest risk for suffering serious COVID-19 symptoms?
At least 80% of COVID-19 patients will recover with self-treatment and the use of over-the-counter drugs to help combat the virus.
About 19% of adults may have a serious or critical illness requiring hospitalization. The groups that are the highest risk include the elderly (risk increases in a graded fashion with age), those who are immunocompromised or those with chronic medical illnesses like lung disease, heart disease, obesity or diabetes. However, recent data from the CDC released on March 18, 2020 about U.S. cases reports that 38% of hospitalizations, 48% of ICU admission and 20% of deaths were in people less than 65 years so even some young people will get very sick.
What precautions can you take to avoid COVID-19?
- Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
- Stay home from school and/or work
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with tissues, and then throw the tissues away
- Regularly use disinfectant products
- Continually wash your hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds at a time, or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if water and soap are not available
- Practice social distancing
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Patients with COVID-19 will have mild to severe respiratory symptoms, including fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the CDC. Shortness of breath is a severe symptom and should prompt you to seek medical care immediately.
The CDC warns patients with severe complications could develop pneumonia in both lungs.
What should you do if you think you contracted COVID-19?
If you believe you may have contracted COVID-19, you should assume you likely do have it and only contact your health care providers if your symptoms are not mild or if you are in a high risk group.
Officials said it is vital to call ahead before going to a doctor's office or emergency room to prevent the spread of illness. Callers should relay their symptoms, should mention if they have potentially been exposed to someone with COVID-19, and should mention any recent travel to a country experiencing community spread.
Can you contract COVID-19 from a pet?
There is no evidence that pets have been infected or could spread the virus that causes COVID-19, according to WHO.
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