Corona ... is it transmitted through yellow dust?

Is the new Corona virus transmitted through yellow dust?

What are the most prominent factors that determine his transmission?

How effective are masks?

What are the long-term repercussions?

These are some of the new questions that we answer in this comprehensive report.

Dust from China

We start with North Korea, where the country has warned its citizens not to go out of their homes, saying that the seasonal yellow dust that blows from China may transmit the new Corona virus to the country.

The official Rodong Sinmun newspaper in North Korea said last Thursday, "With the continuing spread of Corona virus infections around the world, the need to deal with yellow dust and take comprehensive measures has become more important."

There appears to be no evidence to support the claim that the virus that causes the "Covid-19" disease may spread to North Korea from the Gobi desert, located 1,900 kilometers away.

The common measure of social distancing is two meters, although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that drops containing the virus can remain in the air for sometimes hours.

The Korean newspaper said that citizens should refrain from outdoor activities, and they should follow prevention guidelines such as wearing masks when going out.

North Korea has not recorded any confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, which health experts dispute.

Pyongyang has tightened border restrictions and imposed quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the disease.

The state television broadcaster KRT said on Wednesday that yellow dust and fine dust may contain harmful substances, such as heavy metals and pathogenic microorganisms, including viruses.

The graphic below shows 9 of the most prominent symptoms of Corona virus, and to find out a detailed list of symptoms of Corona infection, click on this link.

What are the most prominent factors that determine the transmission of the Corona virus?

Researchers have published a new study in the scientific journal, "Science", through which they identify 3 main causes for the spread of the Corona epidemic very quickly.

The research team led by epidemiologist Elizabeth Lee - from Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore - confirmed that a large part of Coronavirus infection occurs in homes.

The researchers pointed out in their study that many previous studies confirmed that 46 to 66% of HIV infections occur due to mixing of people at home, according to what was reported by the "Deutsche Welle" website.

The scholars stressed in the text of their study that "this is consistent with the fact that home contact is a major cause of transmission of other respiratory viruses," and that institutions that house a large number of people such as prisons, collective shelters, and care facilities are sources of rapid spread of the virus.

The study also indicated the second cause of mixing during major events in which a large number of people gather, which are occasions that lead to the rapid spread of Corona.

And she emphasized that a carrier of the virus who does not show symptoms early spreads it among those who have had contact with him in public events such as weddings or others.

As for the third reason that causes the epidemic to spread regionally and internationally, it is travel, as the study indicated that "controlling movement and preventing it may slow the spread of the epidemic."

The study stated that the strict rules that China adhered to regarding imposing travel restrictions allowed its success in containing the virus.

How effective are masks?

We move to Japan, where researchers have shown that masks can provide protection from corona virus particles spread in the air, but even medical face protectors do not completely stop the risk of transmission, according to Reuters.

Scientists at the University of Tokyo created an isolated room, and placed in it statues faces facing each other, one of which was equipped with a cough sprayer that spreads real particles of the Corona virus, and the rest of the heads simulate normal breathing, while the virus is flying in the air.

The researchers found that the cotton muzzle reduced the inhalation of the virus by 40%, and the medical muzzle "N95" (N95) limited it by 90%.

But even when the medical mask was tightly placed on the statue's face, particles of the virus leaked through it.

And when I put a muzzle, whether cotton or medical, on the face of the statue that spreads the disease, it limited the spread of the virus by 50%.

The researchers wrote in the study, "The result was better when I put the muzzle on the face of those who spread the virus, and those who receive it."

There is a growing consensus among health experts that the virus can be transmitted through the air.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its indicative recommendations this month, to say that pathogens could remain stuck in the air for hours.

What are the long-term implications?

In an interview conducted by the German newspaper "Pfister Courrier" on October 19, and reported by "Deutsche Welle," the German expert and researcher in lung and respiratory diseases, Tobias Vellet, stressed that the long-term effects of the Corona virus should not be underestimated even after recovery, which often reduces Would.

His villa emphasized that "the long-term consequences of the Corona virus can be divided into two categories, there are patients who suffer and here in the functioning of vital organs such as the heart and lung even after many weeks of subsiding infection, and changes are often observed in the lungs (...) as patients suffer from shortness of breath.

This diagnosis was confirmed by a study conducted by the University of Oxford in Britain, and it warned that about two-thirds of those recovering from the virus suffer damage to organs in the body, after 3 months of their discharge from the hospital.

The study concluded that 60% of the recovered patients who were transferred to the hospital due to infection with the Coronavirus still suffer from pneumonia after 3 months of their recovery.

The researchers said that magnetic resonance imaging showed that 30% of those recovering suffered permanent kidney damage, 26% suffered heart damage, and 10% had liver damage.

The recovered patients also showed indications of tissue changes in parts of the brain, and their performance in physical and cognitive tests was poor, and two-thirds of the patients suffered from permanent shortness of breath, and 55% of them showed signs of mental and physical exhaustion.

The study, which included 58 people recovering from Corona, reinforced the growing concern about the health and condition of people who manage to survive the virus.

The study included 58 patients who had moderate to severe symptoms of Corona virus, and were transferred for treatment at Oxford University Hospitals.

For his part, Dr. Filte confirmed that patients complain of a variety of symptoms, which he described as "post-Covid syndrome", as many feel helpless and tired after injury, and constant fatigue, and others have difficulty concentrating, regular nightmares, and suddenly they become forgetful.