Though it’s strange to think of COVID-19 as having anything “mild” attached to it, this can be the case. Some reports of coronavirus cases suggest that most are not severe or are “mild." However, the word “mild” may not accurately describe this group of cases; they may be more mild relative to the most severe cases requiring intensive care, but they may not be as moderate as the word implies. Mild cases generally are ones that do not require hospitalization. But scientifically, it’s open to the interpretation of the experts who use the term.
Is this good news? Certainly the idea that contracting the virus isn’t a death sentence is a relief to some. But the mild nature of some infections may falsely lead people to believe that the threat level is decreased in response. This is certainly not the case, as we see rates continuing to rise globally. The World Health Organization (WHO) says “most people infected with the COVID-19 virus will experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.” As well the people with mild cases are not coming out of it unscathed either. Symptoms may reappear after a supposed recovery from COVID-19, and sometimes that can happen weeks or months later. “It’s almost like a blow to your ego to be in your 20s and healthy and active, and get hit with this thing and think you’re going to get better and you’re going to be OK. And then have it really not pan out that way,” says a COVID-19 patient from Florida.
There has been a very troubling trend in every nation battling the pandemic that people have begun to move away from precautionary behavior as they deem it appropriate. Many may think “I’m not at risk, I’m young and haven’t travelled anywhere” but the precautions and protective procedures should always be observed anyway. Even if you think you could only catch a mild case of COVID-19 you still must strictly observe the safety steps. Perhaps people are holding onto the numbers of “mild” cases as hope that they may not be affected by the virus, or if they do contract it that they can get through it easily. The truth is that in many nations and even U.S. states, cases are climbing higher than ever, and believing that you may not be affected very much may not protect you or the people close to you. Experts are not able to reliably predict who will truly have a mild case and who may have nagging symptoms lasting for a longer period of time, though that may change with more research.
Keeping yourself safe is fundamentally as important to fighting off this disaster as anything else. If you keep yourself hygienic and free of infection as best you can, you’re also contributing to the wider stopping of the spread. We’re all in this together, so we really need to act like it and stay safe.
