At the time of this writing Portugal has confirmed 13 cases of the new coronavirus, COVID-19. Travelling to Portugal and worried? We got you covered.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people. Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans. Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Feeling any of these symptoms? Call 808 24 24 24
SNS 24 is a telephone and online-service of the Portuguese National Health Service. It helps you when you need advice with acute, non-emergent health complaints. It also offers a set of services that allows you to solve health-related issues without having to go to your primary care unit or hospital.
All services can all be accessed by phone in English. Dial 808 24 24 24 and choose option 9. They are available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (clinical services).
Remember to always call SNS 24 (808 24 24 24) before going to the hospital. At SNS 24 there are doctors, nurses, pharmacists, computer and biomedical engineers, as well as management and administrative staff. They are available to help you 7 days a week, 24 hours a day (clinical services).
Sources:
- https://www.sns24.gov.pt/
- https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
- https://www.sns24.gov.pt/en/?fbclid=IwAR0ftSL4Ufn6fbd5h297vGIDsISipVusjZE6VJ10jEmKZQQU6I-_cbQNaOI
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