Boys and girls want to know all the details of what is happening during the epidemic. They have a lot of questions about the coronavirus, quarantine, and how much longer we will have to be home. In Verne, we collected the doubts of some of them (with the consent of their parents) so that they could be answered by Dr. Alejandro Macías, one of the most recognized infectious diseases in Mexico.
Some children decided to share the same doubt that they also sent to the Undersecretary of Health, Hugo López-Gatell, who will answer their questions this Thursday, as it is Children's Day in Mexico.
How did coronavirus appear, why wasn't there before? Alejandro Núñez (6 years)
The coronavirus already existed but lived in bats and not humans. It had to mutate (change) to pass on to people. Before, it did nothing to us because it had not entered our bodies, but then the bat bit or was very close to an animal, probably a pangolin (a mammal with scales used in traditional Chinese medicine) and the virus was able to change its one species to another. The virus was able to pass from that pangolin to humans and changed again until it was able to spread between people.
If coronaviruses do not have eyes, how can they know where people are? Julia Orejudo (5 years old)
They do not have eyes but when it is found in saliva and secretions from the nose, the coronavirus begins to feel that it is in the right place to infect because it identifies that it is between human cells, so what it does is search through those tentacles that have cells that it can infect.
In reality, the coronavirus does not have a life of its own. It is as if it were nothing more than a computer program that when it comes into contact with the human cell is capable of taking control of the cell and beginning to use the mechanisms that the cell has for its own benefit to reproduce. So he takes over and makes lots of copies of himself and starts infecting other cells in the same person. It is through saliva and snot that it jumps between people.
What are those tentacles for? Emilio Orejudo (5 years old)
Those tentacles or needles help you find and stick to a person's cells in the respiratory system.
What color is the coronavirus? Kinich Janaab Flores (6 years old)
We paint the coronavirus in many colors, but in reality viruses do not have color. Color is determined by our sight. We paint it like this to identify it, the most common thing I have seen is that they paint it green, blue or in fantasy ways.
How is something so small so powerful that it can kill a person? and Why is the coronavirus strong? Cedric Soto (5 years old) and Dana Rodríguez (6 years old)
Those questions were already being asked in the early 19th century in early research on viruses and bacteria. At a microscopic level, viruses are small but have a great ability to identify the cell they want to infect and multiply by billions. Once they enter a person and successfully infect them, they can take control of many cells in your body, which is why they do so much damage.
What happens in your body when you have coronavirus? Ángel Rodríguez Barrio (7 years)
When you have coronavirus, a lot happens. The first thing is that the cells of the respiratory system when infected, send signals to white blood cells, which are cells of the blood that are part of the immune system and fight infections and diseases. Immunity wants to defend us against infection, but that immunity loses control and begins to act wildly. So the inflammation that caused the blood cells banks instead of stopping the virus, begins to stop our own organs, our body, that's why some people have died from coronavirus.
I don't understand how it all started, why did it develop so quickly? And how was the coronavirus formed and why does it travel all over the Earth? Aura Garba (9 years old) and Urayoán Villa Salmerón (5 years old)
Generally, when infections from other viruses start, people have antibodies to defend against them, as with the influenza virus, the flu. However, when this virus passed from bats to humans, no one had any defenses to protect themselves from it, so the contagion occurred very quickly, many people became ill. Later, the virus traveled as a stowaway among people who went from one city to another, from one country to another thanks to vehicles, trains and planes in this global world that is highly connected.
Can you give children covid-19? Bruno Landa (5 years old)
Yes, children can have coronavirus. Take care, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because the coronavirus can be on any surface. Unlike other viruses such as influenza that many children get very serious, this coronavirus infects children but does not cause serious illnesses as it does in the elderly. Sometimes a child can look good and nothing happens to him, but then he greets his grandfather, his grandmother and in a kiss he can infect them.
Why does this disease affect our grandparents more? Santiago Martínez (8 years old)
The disease becomes severe and can kill when the body loses control of its defense mechanisms. This lack of control is lost over the years, so grandparents and the chronically ill are more at risk.
I'm sick of the coronavirus, when can I play with my friends? And when is this quarantine going to end? Pietro Collarino (9 years old) and Lot Ezequiel Montó (6 years old)
I will answer these two questions at once. We will have to return to normal little by little. Each person may return on different dates as indicated by the health authorities, depending on how active the virus is in the region in which a person lives. For example, right now in Spain they are allowing children to go outside to play. We are going to return to normal, but it may be that in the next two years we will have to shut ourselves up again because the virus is active again.
I have heard that the virus can enter through the eyes, nose and mouth, so if I am eating on the street and the virus falls on my food, am I going to get sick? Tamara Soto (9 years old)
As far as we know, it is highly unlikely that the virus is transmitted through food.
When the quarantine is over, will I be able to visit my grandparents and celebrate my birthday? Regina Palacios (8 years old)
Little by little we will return to normal but we have to be aware of what the health authorities say to go out and what we can do because infections may skyrocket again.
Do I also have to have a healthy distance with my puppy? Natalia Gaspar (9 years old)
No. It is highly unlikely that your dog will become infected and if the dog becomes infected, it is unlikely that the virus will pass from that dog to other animals or to other people.
How are the nurses, nurses and doctors taking care of the patient with Covid-19? Ivana Landa (7 years old)
Surely you have seen the images that you have to dress almost like an astronaut. People who work in intensive care have to wear a gown, boots, hat, a mask, googles (goggles) and gloves so that the virus cannot enter the person. The most important thing is to cover your eyes, nose and mouth.
I heard that vaccines take 12 months or more. Why are they taking so long, would it be better to remain in quarantine until the vaccine is available? And when will they discover the coronavirus vaccine? Sayuri Soto (11 years old) and Santiago Santana (6 years old)
I will answer these two questions at once. There are many vaccines that are being tested, but to reach humans, they must first be tested on animals. Then in volunteers to observe that it does not produce problems and antibodies are produced and then it has to be massively tested. First, comparing it with people who have not been vaccinated to see if those who have been vaccinated are more protected than those who have not. All of these steps take a long time. The vaccine will be ready in a year or a year and a half and we will have to get out of quarantine before that time.
Has anyone been saved with any treatment? Romina Sesma (10 years old)
There are some treatments that have been tried and that seem to work but as of now there is no clear evidence that a treatment works. Some of the most hopeful is putting the plasma from a person who already has virus antibodies to another sick person.
Are you investigating a cure for coronavirus? Diego Rodríguez (12 years old)
The cure means having a medicine that kills the virus when the person is already sick. It is being investigated intensively and we can hope that within six months or a year we will have some evidence that there is something that will cure the disease or improve conditions so that the person does not die.
Is it true that the virus can return next year and we can lock ourselves up again? Where do you live while? Marta Fernández (11 years old)
Yes, the virus may come back in cold weather because not everyone has gotten sick yet, only 20% of people. So 80% of the population has no antibodies. While you can live in another country. If you leave Madrid because there are no coronaviruses in Madrid, you can be active in Mexico and then you can be active in Africa. With a single person from there traveling to other places in the world it can be extended again and thus it has cycles.
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