Frequently asked questions on COVID-19

• Who can take a viral test?

  In primary health care facilities can be tested:
  •    Patients with 37.5 fever, concurrently with respiratory illness or other suspicious symptoms. 
  •    Patients diagnosed with “tuberculosis” before starting treatment.
  •    Patients receiving hemodialysis and their medical support team.
  •    Beneficiaries and staff of closed organizations (specialized day care facilities for the elderly, disabled, psychiatric medical institutions, etc.).
  •    Public health professionals perform research, sampling and/or are involved in a laboratory diagnosis of coronavirus.
  •    The staff of detention centers who have direct contact with inmates.
   

• How COVID-19-approved patients and those in close contact with them are treated

  Asymptomatic or mild COVID-19-confirmed cases, including those diagnosed with “pneumonia,” are handled by Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities. The PHC doctor monitors patients with coronavirus disease and those in close contact with them through daily phone calls; they take notice of the patient’s complaints, concomitant diseases, as well as information is provided on the organization of safe home care, personal hygiene. It is recommended to contact a doctor immediately in case of health deterioration. In case of the emergence of COVID-19 symptoms of patients and those in close contact with them, the PHC doctor makes a home visit to determine their condition based on complaints. According to medical instructions, if necessary, laboratory-instrumental diagnostic tests are performed.

• What can be done to prevent the virus from spreading

  Keeping the hand hygiene and sneezing and coughing hygiene rules is crucial for avoiding the infection. It is necessary to
  •    Wash your hands often with soap before eating, after eating, after using the bathroom.
  •    When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with a napkin, then throw it in the trash, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
  •    Wash your hands with soap and water when hands are visibly dirty; otherwise, use an alcohol-based disinfectant.
  •    In case of sickness, self-isolate (keep at least 1.5 meters of social distance)
  •    In case of an infected person in the house, frequently clean and disinfect surfaces and shared bathroom.
  •    Wash the infected person’s clothes, linen, bath, and hand towels regularly with soap or in the washing machine at 60-90 °C with regular washing detergent.
   

• Is there any medication that can prevent or treat the new coronavirus infection?

  Currently, there isn’t any specific medicine that is authorized or recommended to prevent or treat COVID-19 infection. Meanwhile, appropriate care is prescribed to alleviate or treat the symptoms of infected people, and in severe cases, symptomatic treatment. Some treatments are under study and will undergo clinical trials. The WHO, together with its partners, assists in organizing the work.

• How long can a person be contagious for others?

  Scientists believe that an infected person is no longer contagious after the 11th day of the illness. They can be viral but not contagious. However, a person can transmit the virus before experiencing the first symptoms. For this reason, the Ministry of Health is currently offering 14 days of isolation and treatment based on signs from the day of coronavirus disease.

• Is it possible to get the new coronavirus infection from pets?

  No, it is not! At this point, there is no evidence that people have contracted or spread the new coronavirus infection from their pets. 

• Who can get infected with COVID-19? Who is at risk of developing severe symptoms?

  Coronavirus disease can affect anybody, regardless of age. Some infected people may not have any symptoms; some may have very mild symptoms and quickly recover. Unfortunately, some others can get severely ill, and the disease may develop rapidly. Although the effects of COVID-19 on humans still need to be studied in more detail, it is well known that older people with chronic illnesses are at risk for developing severe symptoms.
  Severe disease development risk groups include:
  •    People with a weak immune system (e.g., cancer)
  •    Elderly adults of 70 and up
  •    People with a medical condition
  •    People living in densely populated areas
  •    People in prisons
  The risk to infants and children and their role in the transmission of COVID-19 is unclear. However, so far low incidence of COVID-19 has been recorded among children compared to the general adult population.
   

• Which are the coronavirus disease symptoms?

  COVID-19 symptoms include (but are not limited to) fever, cough, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, fatigue, shortness of breath, sometimes diarrhea. The disease can also be asymptomatic. However, in some cases, it can be severe and develop pneumonia.

• How to protect from coronavirus?

  COVID-19 mainly affects respiratory organs. Therefore, everyone must follow the respiratory hygiene rules. Cover the mouth and nose with an elbow or a napkin (afterward, immediately throw the used napkin into the trash). It is also important to maintain hand hygiene. It is necessary to wash your hands regularly with soap or clean them with an alcohol-based disinfectant. It is recommended to wear a mask and keep a distance of at least 1.5 m.

• How is the new COVID-19 transmitted?

  COVID-19 is a respiratory infection and is transmitted from person to person, usually by sneezing or coughing during contact with an infected person or by touching surfaces, objects (such as door handles or tables) contaminated with respiratory droplets and after touching the mouth or face.

• What is coronavirus?

  Coronaviruses (CoV) are from a large family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). New Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new subtype that hasn’t previously been identified in humans. COVID-19 is a new strain of the coronavirus, which was first reported in humans in 2019 in Wuhan, the administrative center of Hubei Province, China. Now it has spread worldwide—the WHO has declared coronavirus disease a pandemic.