• A: COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease has since spread worldwide, leading to an ongoing pandemic.
  

  (Source: Wikipedia)

• A: Most Common Symptoms: Fever, dry cough, tiredness
  Less Common Symptoms: Aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhoea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin or discolouration of fingers or toes
  Serious Symptoms: Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, loss of speech or movement

  (Source: World Health Organization)

(Source: Taiwan CDC)

• A: Incubation period is the time between exposure to the virus and the development of symptoms. People start developing symptoms 2-14 days after the exposure to COVID-19.

  (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine)

• A: To know whether or not you have COVID-19, you should do a PCR Test (Polymerase Chain Reaction Test).

  (Source: Taiwan CDC)

• A: COVID-19 transmit through direct contact with secretions or droplets, like coughing, sneezing, etc

  (Source: Taiwan CDC)

• A: As of July 21, 2021, there are four variants that are listed as variants of concern by the World Health Organization.
  
  • Alpha: B.1.1.7
    Earliest Documented Samples: United Kingdom, Sep 2020
  
  • Beta: B.1.351
    Earliest Documented Samples: South Africa, May 2020
  
  • Gamma: P.1
    Earliest Documented Samples: Brazil, Nov 2020
  
  • Delta: B.1.617.2
    Earliest Documented Samples: India, Oct 2020
  

  (Source: World Health Organization)

• A: As of August 5, 2021, there are only two types of COVID-19 vaccines available in Taiwan: Moderna vaccine and Oxford/AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine.

(Source: Taiwan CDC)

• A: The Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is a mRNA vaccine.

(Source: Yale Medicine)

• A: The Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine is a viral vector vaccine.

(Source: Yale Medicine)

• A: The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is a mRNA vaccine.

(Source: Yale Medicine)

• A: There are two main tests for COVID-19. The PCR Test (Polymerase Chain Reaction Test) is performed by detecting the RNA of COVID-19 to determine whether you have the virus or not. Other than the PCR Test, there is also another test called the rapid antigen test. The rapid antigen test detects the protein fragments of COVID-19 to determine whether you have the virus or not. The main difference between the two different tests is the waiting time for the result. Since PCR tests will need to be performed in labs, the waiting time to get the results would be longer, which oftenly takes about two days or more depending on the demand. But for rapid antigen tests, people could get the results back within 15 minutes because they don’t have to be performed in laboratories. Although rapid antigen tests may produce faster results than the PCR test, the PCR test is the “gold standard” of COVID-19 tests because it is more accurate and reliable.

(Source: Cleveland Clinic, Memorial Healthcare)

• A: Currently, there is no specific treatment for COVID-19

  (Source: Taiwan CDC)

• A: Some common long term effects of COVID-19 include fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, joint pain and chest pain.

  (Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• A: There are some differences between COVID-19 symptoms and cold symptoms. Difficulty breathing is one of the main symptoms of COVID-19, but not for the flu. Additionally, loss of taste and smell are also symptoms of COVID-19, but not for the flu.

  (Source: Intermountain Healthcare)