The A To Z Of Covid-19

Coronavirus is dominating our lives to such an extent it’s possible to create a whole alphabet about it. Here’s a compilation of everything pandemic-related

- Gezzy S Sibisi

A is for asymptomatic Some people don’t show any Covid-19 symptoms, which means they can infect people without even realising it. Although it’s hard to put a number to it, Professor Salim Abdool Karim, the infectious diseases expert who chairs the government’s advisory committee on coronavirus, says between 18% to 60% of people could be asymptomatic, with the majority of them being youngsters.

B IS FOR BCG VACCINE The vaccine, which is mandatory in South Africa for newborn babies to prevent TB, has been in the news after some experts linked it to reducing severe Covid-19 symptoms. At present, there’s no definitive evidence to show the BCG vaccine protects against the disease, says Professor Richard Lessells, an infectious diseases expert at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Several clinical trials are underway in Australia and Europe to test the effectiveness of the vaccine in the fight against Covid-19.

C IS FOR CO-MORBIDITY The term given to one or more serious medical conditions affecting a patient at the same time as another serious infection, such as Covid-19. Health minister Zweli Mkhize has said most patients who’ve died of Covid-19 had underlying conditions – such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes or cancer – and most of these patients are over the age of 60.

D IS FOR VITAMIN D Nations with a high mortality rate, including Italy, Spain and France, have also shown the lowest average vitamin D levels. This has sparked investigations into the effect of vitamin D on Covid-19 patients, although Karim says this is just speculation at this point.