Although caused by the same group of viruses, namely coronavirus, there is a difference between COVID-19, SARS, and MERS. Not only the incubation period of the disease, the difference between these three diseases is also in the speed of transmission and treatment.
COVID-19, SARS, and MERS are viral infections of the respiratory tract that can be fatal. SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) was first epidemic in China in 2002, while MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome) first appeared in the Middle East in 2012.
At the end of 2019, a new disease emerged in China called COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). This disease has caused many deaths in various countries.
Differences between COVID-19 and SARS and MERS based on the incubation period
The incubation period is the time it takes for germs to multiply in a person's body to cause complaints. In other words, the incubation period is the time between the occurrence of infection and the appearance of symptoms.
Although the viruses that cause COVID-19, SARS, and MERS come from the same virus family, namely coronavirus, these three diseases have different incubation periods. The incubation period for MERS is 2–14 days (average 5 days), and the incubation period for SARS is 1–14 days (average 4-5 days). While the incubation period for COVID-19 is 1–14 days, with an average of 5 days.
Differences between COVID-19 and SARS and MERS based on symptoms and spread
In mild degrees, these three diseases can cause fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, weakness, headache, and muscle aches. If it gets more severe, the symptoms of all three can resemble pneumonia, namely fever, severe cough, difficulty breathing and rapid breathing. The big difference between these three diseases is that COVID-19 is rarely accompanied by colds and digestive complaints, such as loose stools (diarrhoea), nausea, and vomiting.
Deployment coronavirus from animals to humans is actually very rare, but this is what happened with COVID-19, SARS, and MERS. Humans can be infected coronavirus through direct contact with animals infected with this virus. This mode of spread is called zoonotic transmission.
SARS is known to be transmitted from civets to humans, while MERS is transmitted from humped camels. Meanwhile, in COVID-19, it is suspected that the animal that first transmitted this disease to humans was the bat.
A person can contract the Corona virus if he inhales the splashes of saliva released by a person with COVID-19 when sneezing or coughing. Not only that, transmission can also occur if someone holds an object that has been contaminated with saliva splashes from a COVID-19 patient and then holds their nose or mouth without washing their hands first.
SARS and COVID-19 are known to spread more easily from person to person than MERS. And when compared to SARS, human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 is easier and faster.
So far, the death rate from COVID-19 is no higher than that of SARS and MERS. The SARS mortality rate reached 10%, while MERS reached 37%. However, the faster transmission of COVID-19 than SARS and MERS made the number of sufferers of this disease increase sharply in a short time.
Differences COVID-19 with SARS and MERS Based on Treatment
So far, there is no cure proven effective in dealing with COVID-19. Some antiviral drugs, such as oseltamivir, lopinavir, and ritonavir, has been tried to be given to COVID-19 patients while continuing to be researched.
Whereas in SARS and MERS, the administration of lopinavir, ritonavir, as well as a new broad-spectrum antiviral drug named remdesivir has been shown to be effective as a treatment.
In patients with Corona virus infection with severe symptoms, in addition to antiviral drugs, they also need to receive fluid therapy (infusion), oxygen, antibiotics, and other drugs according to the symptoms that appear. Patients with COVID-19 also need to be hospitalized so that their condition can be monitored and not transmit the infection to others.
Efforts to prevent these three diseases can be carried out by regularly washing hands, covering the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, and cooking meat and eggs until cooked before eating. In addition, as much as possible avoid contact with people who are coughing and feverish.
Immediately consult a doctor at the nearest health facility, such as a clinic, health center, or hospital, if you experience symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as fever, cough, sneezing, runny nose, or sore throat, especially if you experience shortness of breath.
If you have questions about Corona virus infection, both in terms of symptoms and prevention, don't hesitate to contact us chat doctor directly in the Alodokter application. You can also make an appointment with a doctor at the hospital through this application.
Written by:
dr. Alya Hananti