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10 Surprising Facts About Coronavirus

In January 2020, scientists announced that a new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was responsible for an outbreak of respiratory disease and Pneumonia in Wuhan, China. Since then, the novel coronavirus has spread around the world, sickening tens of millions of people. 

We’re learning more every day about the coronavirus that has caused the first pandemic since the 2009 H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Find out what doctors are learning about SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, COVID-19, including unexpected symptoms and how it might be treated.

1. Anosmia (loss of smell) is a symptom.

The most commonly reported symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough and shortness of breath. However, as the disease has spread around the world, healthcare providers have noticed a few unusual symptoms, including loss of smell (anosmia) and decreased sense of taste (ageusia). 

In South Korea, 30% of people who tested positive for the virus said that loss of smell was their first major symptom. In Germany, more than 2 out of 3 confirmed cases included loss of smell and taste.

Doctors recommend that anyone who experiences a sudden loss of smell or taste self-isolate and contact their healthcare provider.

2. SARS-CoV-2 binds tightly to human cells.

In 2003, SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, spread from Asia throughout the world, sickening more than 8,000 people and killing more than 700 over a six-month period. The virus that caused SARS (SARS-CoV) is similar to the one that causes COVID-19—both are types of coronaviruses—but researchers have recently discovered an important difference that may explain why the new coronavirus is so hard to stop : SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) binds 10 to 20 times more tightly to human cells than SARS-CoV (the virus responsible for SARS).

3. Coronavirus can make babies seriously ill.

Compared to adults, children appear much less likely to get sick if they contract the novel coronavirus. However, the very young (less than 1 year) appear to be more vulnerable to serious illness than older children. From the records of 2,143 Chinese children, nearly 11% of sick infants were seriously or critically ill, compared to 7% of children ages 1 to 5 years, 4% of children ages 6 to 15 and 3% of teenagers aged 16 and older. In the United States, from February 12 to April 2, less than 2% of cases were in children younger than 18 years. Of these pediatric cases, 15% were in children under 12 months.

A multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) is affecting some children positive for current or recent SARS-CoV-2 infection. MIS is rare but very serious. MIS is characterized by gastrointestinal symptoms and cardiac (or other system) inflammation. The syndrome is similar to Kawasaki disease, an illness that could lead to enlarged coronary arteries or even coronary artery aneurysms. Contact your doctor right away if your child has fever, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, and/or is much more tired than usual. (Not all children will experience all MIS symptoms.)

4. The COVID-19 virus can live on surfaces for days.

COVID-19 is spread primarily through respiratory droplets. When an infected person sneezes or coughs, the virus can travel from one person to another, either directly (which is why the CDC recommends maintaining at least a 6-foot distance from other people) or via an intermediate surface. The virus can also spread through the air, but this is more likely in crowded, indoor areas with poor ventilation than in areas with plenty of outdoor air and fewer people.

Researchers have found that the virus can live up to 24 hours on cardboard and 2 to 3 days on plastic and stainless steel. The CDC reports that the virus was detected on surfaces of the Diamond Princess cruise ship up to 17 days after passengers disembarked. However, only pieces of the virus were detectable, not viruses capable of infecting a person.

5. People who don’t have symptoms can spread the virus.

One-third of 565 Japanese citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan, China in February that tested positive for coronavirus infection never developed COVID-19 symptoms; and a study out of China reports more than half of infected children had no symptoms or only mild symptoms. The CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention) estimates up to 40% of infected individuals do not experience symptoms.

That’s good news for the affected individuals, but bad news for public health because people who are infected but don’t have any symptoms can unintentionally spread the virus to others. Public health officials are asking all people to dramatically limit social contact to prevent the spread of disease. Wearing a cloth facial covering when you go to a public indoor place protects others because you could be infected and not know it. Wearing a mask reduces the risk of unknowingly spreading the virus to others in the space around you.

6. People with type A blood may be more susceptible to infection.

A Chinese study of 2,173 individuals who were hospitalized with COVID-19 found that the proportion of sick people with type A blood was significantly greater than researchers would expect based upon the percentage of people with type A blood in the general population. The study also found that there were fewer sick people with type O blood than would be expected.
Genomic studies of patient from Italy and Spain have supported these findings, showing a higher risk of developing COVID-19 respiratory failure in patients with type A blood.

7. You may already have been infected.

Some people never develop symptoms. And some people who had what they thought was a “bad cold” or the flu may have actually had COVID-19.

Scientists developed tests that can detect SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the blood, which is evidence of past infection with the virus. Such tests may help us eventually understand the true extent of this pandemic. Contact your doctor or public health department about antibody testing if you think you had the infection. The CDC recommends virus testing for active infection for anyone who may have been exposed to a confirmed case of COVID-19, even if there are no symptoms.

8. Some people with COVID-19 have digestive symptoms.

Cough, fever and shortness of breath are the most common symptoms of novel coronavirus infection, but many people also experience digestive symptoms, including lack of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. According to study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, 48.5% of 204 people admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 had digestive symptoms. A small percentage (7 people) only had digestive symptoms; these individuals did not have a cough, fever or shortness of breath.

9. Reinfection may be possible.

If a person gets COVID-19, are they immune to future infection from SARS-CoV-2? And how long will immunity last? Ten to 30% of our common colds are caused by four different coronaviruses, and we all know that having a cold doesn’t keep you from catching another cold. But animal research suggests the novel coronavirus may be different: Macaque monkeys who were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 after recovering from COVID-19 did not develop another infection.

In humans, doctors have scientifically confirmed five cases of SARS-CoV-2 reinfection in five different countries (there have been numerous unconfirmed cases), based on sequencing the viral genome for the first and second infections. The risk of reinfection with SARS-CoV-2 varies from person to person and also depends on the specific strain of SARS-CoV-2 the person is exposed to. Researchers around the world are carefully studying people's immune response and immunity to SARS-CoV-2 variants.

10. A global trial is searching for effective coronavirus treatment.

On March 20, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a large global trial called SOLIDARITY. Its purpose: to find effective treatment for COVID-19. SOLIDARITY started by examining four promising drug regimens: 1) Remdesivir—an experimental antiviral medication; 2) Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine—malaria medications; 3) Lopinavir and ritonavir—two HIV drugs that may be useful in combination; and 4) Interferon beta-1a, a medication that works in the immune system. WHO suspended the chloroquine/hydroxychloroquine and Lopinavir /ritonavir arms of the trial.

Although remdesivir is still in clinical trials, it has been shown to be a safe and effective COVID-19 treatment. It can improve COVID-19 symptoms and shorten recovery time. In the United States, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved remdesivir for hospitalized patients 12 and older (weighing at least 4 kilograms or 88 pounds). The drug also has FDA emergency use authorization for younger hospitalized children or children who weigh 3.5 to 4 kg.

There are thousands more clinical trials underway all over the world.

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