UNDERSTANDING “CORONAVIRUS” IN EASY ENGLISH 

UNDERSTANDING “CORONAVIRUS” IN EASY ENGLISH 

This page provides important information about coronavirus (COVID-19) from the U.S. CDC in very easy English. Learn what it is and how to avoid getting coronavirus.

his page has information about coronavirus in very easy English. The information is from the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States of America. For the newest information, you should visit its page.

1. What is coronavirus and how does it spread?

Coronavirus is a new disease. It started in Wuhan, China. “Coronavirus” and “COVID-19” mean the same thing.

Coronavirus usually spreads from one person to another. This is called “person-to-person spread.” You might get the coronavirus if someone near you (within 6 feet/180cm distance) has it. Also, the virus can spread if someone who has the coronavirus coughs or sneezes.

It is possible that you can get the coronavirus by touching something that has the virus. For example, people with the coronavirus can cough and their saliva (spit) goes on a table. Then, you touch the table and then touch your mouth or eyes. This might make you get the coronavirus. However, the CDC thinks that this is not the most common way the virus spreads.

People need to have the coronavirus to be contagious (be able to give the disease to other people), but they might not know that they have the disease yet. This is because they might not have symptoms yet, like coughing and sneezing.

2. What are the symptoms of coronavirus?

A “symptom” is a sign that someone might have some kind of a disease. For example, a high fever can be a symptom of the flu.

CDC says that the symptoms of coronavirus are:

・Fever (high temperature)

・Cough

・Shortness of breath (difficult to breathe)

Even if you are infected (have the virus), you may not notice these symptoms for 2-14 days.

If you were in China or somewhere else the coronavirus is spreading in the last 2 weeks, you should call your doctor.

3. How can you prevent (not get) coronavirus?

“Prevention” means taking actions to avoid getting a disease.

Unlike the flu, there is no vaccine (prevention shots/injection/immunization) to prevent coronavirus. That’s why it is very important to be careful and follow what the CDC says:

・You should wash your hands a lot with soap and water. Every time you wash your hands, you should wash them for more than 20 seconds. You should carry an alcohol sanitizer when you don’t have soap.

・After washing your hands, use a paper towel to touch things like doorknobs and faucets. Throw that paper towel away immediately.

・You should not go close to sick people.

・Do not touch your eyes, nose, and mouth.

・You need to sneeze or cough into a tissue paper. You should throw the tissue paper away in the trash every time you use one.

・If you are sick, you need to stay home.

・You should often clean things you touch a lot. Use disinfectants like bleach.

4. Do you need to wear a facemask?

If you are not sick, you should NOT wear a facemask if you are not taking care of somebody with coronavirus. The surgeon general of the United States (the highest ranked doctor in the country) wrote on Twitter that you should not buy face masks because it doesn’t prevent you from getting coronavirus.

Seriously people- STOP BUYING MASKS!

They are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!

https://t.co/UxZRwxxKL9

— U.S. Surgeon General (@Surgeon_General) February 29, 2020

 Also, if everyone buys facemasks and they become sold out at stores, people who really need them like doctors and people with coronavirus can’t buy them. Then, those people will spread coronavirus to other people.

5. What should you do if you have coronavirus?

1. Stay home and away from other people

If you think you might have coronavirus, you have to stay at home. You should not go outside because you can spread the virus. You should call a doctor before going to the hospital, and tell them that you might have coronavirus. When you go to the hospital, do NOT take public transportation (like bus and train), ridesharing (like Uber and Lyft), or taxis.

If you have coronavirus, you should stay in a separate room. Everybody such as your family, roommates, and friends should not enter your room. If possible, you should use a different bathroom from other people. You should not be near your pets (like dogs and cats) too.

2. Wear a facemask and use tissue papers

Only if you are sick, you should wear a mask.

When you cough or sneeze, you need to do so into a tissue paper. Then, throw that tissue paper away and wash your hands carefully for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. If you don’t have soap, use a hand sanitizer with more than 60% alcohol.

3. Don’t share plates, utensils, and linens

If you have coronavirus, don’t use the same household items (like dishes and cups) with other people. You might want to use paper plates and plastic cups. If you can’t, make sure to wash them very carefully. You should also not use the same towels and linens (like bed sheets) with other people.

4. Clean things you touch a lot

If you have coronavirus, you should clean and disinfect the things you touch a lot every day. CDC calls these things “high-touch surfaces,” and they include “counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables.”

5. Get Help

If you don’t speak English very well, you might need a translator to talk with a doctor. Also, there may be a doctor who can speak your language. Your country’s embassy or consulate might be able to help you find a translator if you need one.