A post to be read from Dr. Jorge Sales Marques, Director of Pediatrics at Conde S. Januário Hospital Center, Macau. 🇲🇴

What we learned until now about Covid-19?

Covid-19 was first reported to WHO on 31/12/2020 .

This new coronavirus has 80 % of its genetic sequence similar to SARS coronavirus.

The transmission is by droplets of saliva, human to human.

The incubation period can be from 2 to 14 days with the pick around 5 th day.

Adults with more than 55 years and with chronic diseases and with deficiency of his imune system are more sensitive to get Covid-19.

Why the virus affected less children under 10
years of age (less than 0.1 %)?

The frequent stimulation of the imune system by early vaccinations in the first 18 months of age, followed by vaccine booster at 5-6 y and 10-13 y and frequent virus infections during the infancy and later in the kindergarten and schools, can be responsible for this surprising situation.

On the other hand, we know that we have 4 coronavirus that affect humans with low to moderate respiratory symptoms like common cold and can be responsible for 10-25 % of all upper respiratory tract infection.

All these reasons can stimulate the immune memory and help the younger people to response better for the new virus infection.

In adults they also have virus infections and do vaccines but their immune memory is not the same.

The Covid-19 symptoms are like flu, with cough and running nose in 80 % of cases, diarrhea in 4 % and respiratory distress, pneumonia.

Some cases can let the patient in critical respiratory failure and even dead.

The mortality is around 2.5 %, lower that SARS dead cases that was 9.4%.

But the risk of contagious is higher!

So far more than 100 000 cases (SARS around 8000) affecting already 100 countries!

What is recommended?

There are 4 things that any one in any country can do!

1 – use mask correctly

2 – wash your hands during at least 20 seconds and repeat many times a day

3 – avoid overcrowded places

4 – keep at home as must as you can

What happened in Macau?

What we did?

The people of Macau strictly fulfilled the recommendations from the Health Bureau and the government.

The people used mask in everyplace they need to go, including work, public transport and streets.

They washed their hands with water and soap or alcohol gel.

They keep at home.

They avoid going to places with many people.

They followed all recommendations with total complicity between them and the government and Heath Bureau!

During this time of coronavirus crisis, we saw streets almost empty, shoppings, private clinics, gyms, some hotels and even casinos closed.

We closed all schools, from primary to universities and the students are doing e-school’s until all is considered under control.

We checked the temperature of anyone that came outside Macau and also in any place in Macau.

In hospital, we stop consultations and we did by phone or video.

We stop patients visiting.

We restricted people coming from outside and stop visitors from risks areas, we did and keep doing tests for people with risk of contagious.

For those that was infected or have contacted people with Covid-19, we put on quarantine.

We protect our Macau citizens and also help to diagnose people (tourist or not) that want to enter Macau for visiting, shopping, gambling or only tasting our excellent food.

Macau with this total cooperation between government, Health Bureau and his citizens is the best example for all over the world!

We don’t have new cases for one month and our all 10 cases that were affected, all are discharged!

With all respect for all countries that are affected and their health bureau program against Covid-19, they need to take the same measures we did.

To stop spreading the coronavirus in their own countries or to others cities or countries, the only way is convinced their citizens that this is a serious disease.

Them, recommend the citizens the 4 main thinks they need to follow, support the health professionals not only with mask, gloves and special clothes but also practical flow chart with constant update.

And finally, but also crucial for the success, each government need to have courage to take difficult measures.

This fight against Covid-19 is not only a Macau fight.

All cities, countries and WHO need to join together forces to win this war against this new coronavirus.

And learn from others cities or countries, what they did to stop virus spreading.

If the results are good, we need to learn and why not ask people with more experiences or better results for an opinion, suggestions or help.

This is a global fight with only one enemy – Covid-19!

Join the forces please!

(da página do Facebook de Jorge Sales Marques).