The coronavirus is a family of viruses that affect people and animals and cause respiratory infections. These illnesses can range from the simple common cold to more serious illnesses such as SARS.
Specifically, COVID-19 behaves similarly to the flu virus. This virus is highly contagious and spreads easily through the population. That is why we are having a large number of patients affected by coronavirus in Spain.
90% of the people infected by COVID-19 will have a series of very mild or practically asymptomatic symptoms.
However, of the remaining 10% who will have symptoms. Of these patients who will have symptoms of COVID-19, 80% will develop fever, cough, malaise and flu-like muscle aches. These people will have to pass the infection on at home.
The remaining 20% will develop respiratory complications, such as pneumonia, and will need to be hospitalized. 0.5% of these people with severe symptoms will develop pulmonary fibrosis that will complicate their progress and will need to be treated with a ventilator.
The vast majority of patients infected with COVID-19 will be cured, but those patients whose defence systems are impaired may die.