The novel coronavirus outbreak spread rapidly. On January 30, 2020, the World Health Organization WHO announced a public health emergency of international importance. The subject of COVID-19 disease has undoubtedly become the most important problem today. In this article, we will try to present the most basic information about SARS-CoV-2 infection and diagnosis.

What is SARS-CoV-2?

Coronaviruses are viruses belonging to the Coronaviridae family. Currently, there are seven species of coronaviruses that cause human infection. The first of them was identified in the 1960s. The seventh, identified at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, is the known species with the full name “human SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus” – associated with the severe acute respiratory syndrome.

The SARS-Cov-2 coronavirus causes a disease called COVID-19 that is seemingly easy to mistake for the flu. Severe course of this disease is observed in about 15-20% of patients, and deaths occur in about 2-3% of cases depending on the population. Infection relatively often, especially in young people and children, is asymptomatic or may be very mild. It is therefore assumed that many contagions go unrecorded and that these statistics are probably underestimated. What makes this epidemic especially difficult to control is that asymptomatic people infect by spreading the virus in an uncontrolled manner.

SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection

The new coronavirus spreads by airborne droplets. Therefore, infection occurs mainly through physical contact with an infected person, respiratory drops emitted by the patient (exhaled or expelled with coughing and sneezing), and even through contact with surfaces previously contaminated with virus particles.

What is very important is the fact that the survival rate of the SARS-Co-2 coronavirus on surfaces outside the body can reach up to 9 days under favorable conditions. This is why it is so important to regularly clean (sanitize) potentially contaminated surfaces. Such treatments can limit the spread of not only the new coronavirus but also any other pathogenic microbes.

In addition to this, we should also follow some important rules:

• Frequent hand washing – in warm, soapy water for a minimum of 30 seconds. If water is not available, use an alcohol-based disinfectant.
• Hygiene of the respiratory system – when sneezing and coughing, cover your mouth and nose with your bent arm or handkerchief, which should be thrown away immediately, and then washed.
• Avoiding touching your face – especially your eyes, nose and mouth. This will reduce the possibility of virus transmission from the infected surface to the respiratory system.
• Keeping a safe distance – especially from strangers and people who have symptoms such as coughing, sneezing or fever.
• Disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces – here we are talking about objects that can be touched by many people, but also about objects brought into the house from outside, such as grocery shopping. It is therefore advisable to wash products from stores.

COVID-19 Diagnostics

Unfortunately, no official research confirms how long after the infection takes place, it is possible to detect the coronavirus. It is said that it is recommended to perform the test 5 days after the potential infection, but remember that the amount of the virus is always correlated with the individual predispositions of the organism. Therefore, there is a risk that the virus grows slowly in some infected, and as a result, tests performed relatively early are negative. It is for these reasons that it is recommended, first of all, to regularly monitor body temperature and other symptoms characteristic of COVID-19 and perform a test when the first of them appear.

The most precise and recommended by WHO test for coronavirus identification is the test performed using the Real-Time PCR method. It is the most sensitive test that directly detects the genetic material of the virus. The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus test performed by genXone is based on the Real-Time PCR technique.