Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause disease [1]. In humans, coronaviruses cause mild respiratory conditions (the common cold) to severe respiratory conditions such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Currently, the coronavirus outbreak is generating COVID-19 [2]. It was first identified in December 2019 in the city of Wuhan, China [3].

The most common symptoms are fever (80%), tiredness (40%) and dry cough (70%), also some patients may develop general malaise, aches and pains, stuffy and runny nose, sore throat, breathing difficulties, headache, anorexia or diarrhea [4]. These are usually mild and begin gradually, and in some cases, people become infected but remain asymptomatic. Most infected people (about 80%) recover from the disease without the need for special treatment. However, 1 in 6 people (15%) who contract COVID-19 become seriously ill and develop difficulty breathing [5].

References

1. Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). “Q and A on coronaviruses (COVID-19)” (2020).
2. Ministerio de Sanidad. “Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias. Procedimiento de actuación frente a casos de nuevo coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). España; Ministerio de Sanidad, marzo (2020).
3. Chaolin Huang., et al. “Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China”. The Lancet 395 (2020).
4. Sun P., et al. “Clinical characteristics of 50 466 hospitalized patients with 2019-nCoV infection”. Journal of Medical Virology 6 (2020): 612-617.
5. Organización Mundial de la Salud. “Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected: interim guidance”. OMS (2020).
6. Chaplin DD. “Overview of the immune response”. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 2-2 (2010): S3-23.
7. Atención y recomendaciones de alimentación y nutrición México. nutris en cuarentena covid-19. México 2 (2020).
8. Wintergerst ES., et al. “Contribution of Selected Vitamins and Trace Elements to Immune Function”. Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism 51 (2007): 301-323.
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10. Agencia de Salud Pública de Cataluña. “Pequeños cambios para comer major”. Barcelona: editado por la Agencia de Salud Pública de Cataluña (2019).
11. Frangeskou M., et al. “Dehydration in the Elderly: A Review Focused on Economic Burden”. The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging 6 (2015): 619-627.
12. Holmes MV., et al. “Association between alcohol and cardiovascular disease: Mendelian randomisation analysis based on individual participant data”. British Medical Journal 349 (2014): g4164.
13. Chikritzhs TN., et al. “Mendelian randomisation meta-analysis sheds doubt on protective associations between «moderate» alcohol consumption and coronary heart disease”. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 1 (2015): 38.