scholarly journals An Explication of Pandemic Public Health Emergency, Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Author(s):  
Neha Pant ◽  
A. K. Upadhyay

In December 2019 a series of acute atypical respiratory disease occurred in Wuhan, China. The first clusters of cases were identified in association with the South China Seafood Market. In subsequent investigations it was found to be a novel coronavirus. It is suggested to have zoonotic origin. On December 31st 2019, China notified the outbreak to the World Health Organization. During the New Year, the massive migration of Chinese fuelled the epidemic. Cases in other provinces of China and other countries (South Korea, Thailand and Japan in quick succession) were reported in people who were returning from Wuhan. On 11 February, on the basis of existing rules on taxonomy the virus was names as SARS-CoV-2. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the family of coronaviruses. It is a positive-sense single-stranded RNA (+ssRNA) virus. It has a single linear RNA segment. On the same day WHO announced the new name for the disease i.e. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say it is primarily spread directly due to close contact between people through small droplets produced during coughing, sneezing or talking within a range of about 1-3 meters. It may even transmit through indirect contact via fomites. While there are concerns it may spread by feces, this risk is believed to be low. Soon, the number of cases started increasing exponentially and on March 12, 2020 WHO announced COVID-19 a pandemic. COVID-19 has been impacting a large number of people worldwide, being reported in approximately 200 countries and territories. It was identified that Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) act as a functional receptor for SARS-CoV-2. The pathophysiology of COVID-19 follows sex differences, age differences, race differences in as well as underlying disease conditions i.e. comorbidities aggravated the severity of this disease.  The most common symptoms being reported are fever, dry cough or chest tightness, and dyspnoea. It is now widely recognized that respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 are extremely heterogeneous, ranging from minimal symptoms to significant hypoxia with ARDS. Diagnosis is done with the help of history, clinical signs and serological testing. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) is considered the standard method of testing. Several have been tested in clinical trials but none of them have been proven to be a definite therapy yet. The evolution of the current outbreak has seen extraordinary measures put in place to control transmission, including the ‘shut-down’ and ‘quarantine’. Researchers are trying to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 but at present, no vaccine is available. One should strictly follow all the preventive measures as directed by WHO and CDC and along with this, one should boost up its natural immunity to lessen the chances of getting infection.

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (08) ◽  
pp. 829-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela J. Stephens ◽  
John R. Barton ◽  
Nana-Ama Ankumah Bentum ◽  
Sean C. Blackwell ◽  
Baha M. Sibai

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory tract infection that was first identified in China. Since its emergence in December 2019, the virus has rapidly spread, transcending geographic barriers. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have declared COVID-19 as a public health crisis. Data regarding COVID-19 in pregnancy is limited, consisting of case reports and small cohort studies. However, obstetric patients are not immune from the current COVID-19 pandemic, and obstetric care will inevitably be impacted by the current epidemic. As such, clinical protocols and practice on labor and delivery units must adapt to optimize the safety of patients and health care workers and to better conserve health care resources. In this commentary, we provide suggestions to meet these goals without impacting maternal or neonatal outcomes. Key Points • Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic.• COVID-19 impacts care of obstetric patients.• Health care should be adapted for the COVID-19 pandemic.


Author(s):  
Roberto Lo Giudice

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a novel coronavirus first identified in Wuhan, China, and the etiological agent of Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19). This infection spreads mainly through direct contact with Flügge micro droplets or core droplets that remain suspended as aerosol. Moreover, it has been reported that infected subjects, both with and without clinical signs of COVID-19, can transmit the virus. Since the infection typically enters through mouth, nose, and eyes, dentistry is one of the medical practices at highest risk of infection due to the frequent production of aerosol and the constant presence of saliva. The World Health Organization (WHO) has suggested that only emergency/urgent procedures should be performed during the coronavirus outbreak. Considering the virus’ route of transmission, a specific protocol should be applied to reduce the risk of infection in addition to measures that prevent the spread of infection from a patient to another person or medical tools and equipment (cross-infection). This protocol should be implemented by modifying both patient management and clinical practice, introducing particular devices and organizational practices. This paper aims to discuss and suggest the most appropriate procedures in every aspect of dental practice to reduce infection risk.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 01-03
Author(s):  
Dattatreya Mukherjee

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) started as an epidemic in Wuhan in 2019 and was declared pandemic by WHO in March 2020. The virus has been identified and named as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This novel coronavirus strain is the causative agent of COVID-19, and continues to rapidly spread worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic and transmissible coronavirus that spreads through respiratory droplets and unprotected close contact. “COVID‑19 outbreak, which has caused >95 million confirmed infections and >2 million coronavirus related deaths, is one of the most disastrous worldwide crises in recent years. Several methods have been used to examine SARS-CoV-2 infections.” i.e. RT-qPCR for viral RNA detection, and rapid screening procedures for antibody or virus detection. COVID-19 shows an incubation period of 3–7 days globally. Approximately 80% of the cases remain mild or asymptomatic, 15% are severe and 5% infectious cases turn to critical, requiring ventilation [2]. Several clinical trials have been proposed for its treatment and management with supportive aim of mortality reduction [1]. By glancing a view on fig 1, it can be evidently seen that COVID-19 cases have started to rise significantly since last few months. Furthermore, as per World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 131,020,967 confirmed cases of COVID-19 at a global level recently.


Author(s):  
Ugbomah Lucy Ohoreorovwori ◽  
Stanley Catherine Nonyelum ◽  
Stanley Princewill Chukwuemeka

Background: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a highly infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus strain. The virus is believed to spread mainly by respiratory droplets where the infected people breathe, cough or sneeze and expel little droplets of moisture that contain the virus.Older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions are mostly affected. Method: Relevant literatures were reviewed from the internet, electronic and print media, World Health Organization and Center for Disease Control documentation. Results: The coronavirus has brought difficult situations for citizens across the world. Refugees and irregular migrants who find themselves in difficult situations are more vulnerable to the effect of the virus and the social difficulties associated with it. Conclusion: The spread of the virus can be slowed or suppressed through social distancing, natural immunity, and observance of optimal hygiene practice and near compulsory use of face masks, particularly while dealing with the public.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (S1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Bilolikar AK ◽  
Reddy SG ◽  
Banerjee J ◽  
Fatima R ◽  
Poonam AR

In early December 2019, an outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) as it is now called, occurred in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. On January 30, 2020 the World Health Organization declared the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. Vaccines to prevent human coronavirus infections are not yet available. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) spreads primarily when people are in close contact with small droplets produced by an infected person, identified as “super spreaders”. COVID-19 can be fatal among high-risk groups patients >60 yr. The envelope spike “S” protein receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 use host receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter the cells of airway epithelium and alveolar type 2 (AT2) pneumocytes, and pulmonary cells. The most common clinical features are fever (80-90%), cough (60-80%) and breathlessness (18-46%). The other symptoms include myalgia, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Infection control practices to be followed stringently by Health Care Workers (HCW). Standard precautions to be maintained. Specimen to be packed in triple container packing. Cold temperature to be maintained during transport and storage. Laboratory tests of COVID-19 are broadly categorized into two methods: (1) Nucleic acid based assay: RT-PCR, TrueNAT, CBNAAT & (2) Immunoassay: Can be broadly divided into 2 types: Antigen based assay: Rapid antigen test, Antibody based assay: enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Keywords: coronavirus; COVID-19; laboratory diagnosis; SARS-CoV-2


Author(s):  
Nur Hidayah Che Ahmat ◽  
Syafiqah Rahamat ◽  
Susan Wohlsdorf Arendt

The novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) first appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei Province China before emerging in neighbouring countries in early 2020. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic when the spreading of the virus started accelerating in many parts of the world and killing thousands of people. As of 22nd May 2021, there were more than 166 million confirmed cases with more than 147 million recovered and nearly 3.5 million deaths (Worldometers, n.d.). According to the WHO (2020) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020), the virus easily spreads through coughing and sneezing. Therefore, many countries implemented social distancing between individuals and various other restriction orders or recommendations (e.g., stay-at-home policies, closure of non-essential businesses) to help curb virus spread. How governments in each country reacted to control the spread of the virus appeared crucial to mitigate public health and economic impacts. Keywords: Foodservice, Hospitality, Hotel, Malaysia, Pandemic


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (01) ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Prakash Zacharias ◽  
Hasim Ahamed

AbstractNovel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread to different parts of the world and was declared a pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). Health care workers are at increased risk of contracting the disease due to their nature of work and close contact with the patients. Staff in endoscopy need to be aware of this risk due to the aerosol-generating nature of procedures and the presence of virus particles in stool samples of infected persons. The risk of asymptomatic patients spreading the disease is also a cause for concern. This article intends to provide guidance and recommendations for techniques and practice of gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy to prevent infection in endoscopy unit.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manoj Kumar Yadav ◽  
Arpana Vibhuti ◽  
Anjali Priyadarshini ◽  
Archana Gupta ◽  
V. Samuel Raj ◽  
...  

World Health Organization (WHO) announced the official name of the 2019 novel coronavirus associated diseases coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the reference name for the virus is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Transmission of SARS CoV-2 in humans occurs mainly via respiratory droplet or aerosols, close contact with an infected person, exposed to coughing, sneezing and likely in oral-faecal. The COVID-19 outbreak started in different countries at different times, and now those countries are at different stages. By comparing infection trajectories from the 100th case mark, we have been able to observe the rapid spread of the virus in various countries. To date, no specific antiviral drugs or vaccines are available for the control of SARS CoV-2. The experts at global level suggest implementation of strict measures such as practicing quarantine, social distancing, avoiding social gathering to reduce the number of COVID-19 cases. This is a dynamically unfolding pandemic that will require the concerted efforts of counties around the world to control. Given the unfold of the new coronavirus and its impacts on human health, it becomes pertinent to device methods for handling this public health emergency at the community, national, and international levels. it's vital to additional investigate a preventative intervention to halt the unfold of the COVID-19 infection, because it has been discovered that not all countries have constant fate concerning infection and fatality. It becomes vital to acknowledge and study the factors accountable and also the underlying mechanisms for this.


Author(s):  
Mohammed S. Razzaque

The novel coronavirus, COVID-19 is now officially declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), and most parts of the world are taking drastic measures to restrict human movements to contain the infection. Like millions of others around the world, I am wondering, is there anything that could be done, other than keeping high personal hygiene, and be vigilant of symptoms, to reduce the chances of infection, or at least to reduce the burden of the disease. So far, the National and International health agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the WHO have provided clear guidelines for both preventive and treatment suggestions. In this opinion-based article, I want to discuss, why keeping the adequate micronutrient balance might enhance the host response and be protective of viral infections. A detailed in-depth discussion of various micronutrients is not the purpose of this article, I will mostly emphasize on the role of zinc in viral infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzaneh Barati ◽  
Fakhrisadat Hosseini ◽  
Faezeh Habibi Moghadam ◽  
Samin Abbasi Dezfouli

Context: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in China in December 2019 and rapidly became a global epidemic. Respiratory droplets are the main transmission route, and no approved drugs or vaccines have been reported so far. Therefore, prevention is considered essential to the control of this pandemic. Masks are personal protective equipment, which play a key role in the prevention process. The World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have emphasized on the use of masks by healthcare providers, patients, and caregivers. Evidence Acquisition: This review study was conducted by searching in Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and WHO library databases using specific search terms. Only the articles and other secondary sources published in English were selected and reviewed. Results: 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is smaller than the pore size of all types of available masks. In addition, the issue of limited hospital resources (e.g., masks during pandemics) requires special attention, while the produced mask garbage during the pandemic is another crucial issue. Efforts have been made to address these three critical challenges. Conclusions: We reviewed various types of masks and investigated the ability of each to prevent COVID-19, as well as the solutions for the issues associated with using the masks that provide insufficient protection against the 2019-nCoV, mask shortage, and mask garbage. Despite the deficient protective power of the available masks, these tools could delay the progression of COVID-19 effectively owing to mask flow resistance and virus spread via droplets.


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