Dr. Joseph Blondeau with the Saskatchewan Health Authority explains that COVID-19 is a variant of the common cold virus, but in some patients can be a more severe disease. Blondeau is a Clinical microbiologist and Head of Clinical Microbiology at Royal University Hospital and has published in excess of 160 peer reviewed manuscripts, more than 240 abstracts at international meetings and 5 books.

Dr. Blondeau says the big difference between COVID-19 and the flu, are that vaccines are available and a level of protection is present for influenza, while this coronavirus doesn’t have existing immunities. Data from across the world has shown that most COVID-19 patients end up with a very mild infection, but some patients that are older or have underlying health conditions can get a severe form of the infection.
Those infected are usually isolated for 14 days, which Dr. Blondeau says is the incubation time of the virus.

“If you for example have just returned from a overseas trip, from a country where the virus is more widely disseminated, the data would suggest that somewhere between the time you were return or the time you were exposed up to 14 days afterwards, if you were likely to be infected, would be the time period where you would start to display those symptoms.”Blondeau added that those who are already infected, should develop an immunity but researchers are looking into if that immunity can break down. He says the virus is transmitted by droplets, through coughing and talking, and that covering up while coughing and frequent hand washing are very important.