scholarly journals OUTBREAK, EPIDEMIOLOGY, THERAPEUTICS AND PREVENTION OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE-2019: A REVIEW

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
ZULFKAR LATIEF QADRIE ◽  
SHAHID UD DIN WANI ◽  
SURYA PRAKASH GAUTAM ◽  
M. KHALID AHMED KHAN
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The Other ◽  
Short Report ◽  
Sudden Increase ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Patient Diagnosis ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Positive Results

The outbreak of pneumonia of unknown cause during December 2019 was reported from Wuhan City, Hubei province capital in China as its epicenter. Symptoms of pneumonia in several patients admitted to hospitals from Wuhan, China during December 2019. The sudden increase in the patients having the same symptoms, in due course the contributing means was isolated from the infected populace. In the present short report, we have summarized various public health measures, viz., early marking of the suspected patient, diagnosis, and supervision of the suspected cases that will help prevent Coronavirus disease in 2019. At the start, it was named as the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), and later it has been named Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recently. Within a few weeks of a short period, the virus affected the other of China after Wuhan and later in two to three months, it is present in more than 140 countries around the globe and adding. As of 03rd August 2020, there have been 17.6 million established cases worldwide, and 680, 894 deaths have been documented, with 11,460,074 recovered. Worldwide, multiple trails are going on with the hope to find the treatment and some have positive results. On the other hand, because no vaccine is offered, the precautionary methods are the best way to fight the virus.

scholarly journals Facemask shortage and the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak: Reflection on public health measures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huailiang Wu ◽  
Jian Huang ◽  
Casper J. P. Zhang ◽  
Zonglin He ◽  
Wai-Kit Ming
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Medical Resources ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Effective Public Health

AbstractBackgroundA novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak due to SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in China in late-December 2019. Facemask wearing is considered as one of the most cost-effective and important measures to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, but it became a social concern due to the recent global facemask shortage. China is the major facemask producer in the world, contributing to 50% of global production. However, even full productivity (20 million facemasks per day) does not seem to meet the need of a population of 1.4 billion in China.MethodsPolicy review using government websites and shortage analysis using mathematical modelling based on data obtained from the National Health Commission (NHC), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the People’s Republic of China, and Wuhan Bureau of Statistics.FindingsSupplies of facemasks in the whole of China would have been sufficient for both healthcare workers and the general population if the COVID-19 outbreak only occurred in Wuhan city or Hubei province. However, if the outbreak occurred in the whole of China, facemask supplies in China could last for 5 days if under the existing public health measures and a shortage of 853 million facemasks is expected by 30 Apr 2020. Assuming a gradually decreased import volume, we estimated that dramatic increase in productivity (42.7 times of the usual level) is needed to mitigate the facemask crisis by the end of April.InterpretationIn light of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, a shortage of facemasks and other medical resources can considerably compromise the efficacy of public health measures. Effective public health measures should also consider the adequacy and affordability of medical resources. Global collaboration should be strengthened to prevent the development of a global pandemic from a regional epidemic via easing the medical resources crisis in the affected countries.Research in contextEvidence before this studyWe searched PubMed and Web of Science for articles in English, between 1 Jan 1980, and 1 Jan 2020, using the search terms 1) (infection OR infectious disease* OR outbreaks) AND (modelling); and 2) (mask* OR facemask* OR medical resource*) AND (infection OR infectious disease* OR outbreaks). Most relevant studies identified were performed to predict diseases spread and to determine the original infection source of previous epidemics like SARS and H7N9. However, few studies focused on the medical resources crisis during the outbreaks.Added value of this studyTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the facemask shortage during the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) outbreak in China. We have summarized in detail the management strategies implemented by the Chinese governments during the outbreaks. By considering three scenarios for the outbreak development, we simulated the facemasks availability from late-December 2019 to late-April 2020 and estimated the duration of sufficient facemask supplies. Our findings showed that if the COVID-19 outbreak occurred only in Wuhan city or Hubei province, facemask shortage would not appear with the existing public health measures. However, if the outbreak occurred in the whole of China, a shortage of facemask could be substantial assuming no alternative public health measures.Implications of all the available evidenceOur findings provide insight into the public health measures to confront medical resources crisis during infectious disease outbreaks. Effective public health measures should consider the adequacy and affordability of existing medical resources. Governments across the world should revisit their emergency plans for controlling infectious disease outbreaks by taking into account the supply of and demand for the medical resource. Global collaboration should be strengthened to prevent the development of a global pandemic from a regional epidemic via easing the medical resources crisis in the affected countries.

scholarly journals Harnessing testing strategies and public health measures to avert COVID-19 outbreaks during ocean cruises

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerardo Chowell ◽  
Sushma Dahal ◽  
Raquel Bono ◽  
Kenji Mizumoto
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Contact Network ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Testing Strategies ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

AbstractTo ensure the safe operation of schools, workplaces, nursing homes, and other businesses during COVID-19 pandemic there is an urgent need to develop cost-effective public health strategies. Here we focus on the cruise industry which was hit early by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 40 cruise ships reporting COVID-19 infections. We apply mathematical modeling to assess the impact of testing strategies together with social distancing protocols on the spread of the novel coronavirus during ocean cruises using an individual-level stochastic model of the transmission dynamics of COVID-19. We model the contact network, the potential importation of cases arising during shore excursions, the temporal course of infectivity at the individual level, the effects of social distancing strategies, different testing scenarios characterized by the test’s sensitivity profile, and testing frequency. Our findings indicate that PCR testing at embarkation and daily testing of all individuals aboard, together with increased social distancing and other public health measures, should allow for rapid detection and isolation of COVID-19 infections and dramatically reducing the probability of onboard COVID-19 community spread. In contrast, relying only on PCR testing at embarkation would not be sufficient to avert outbreaks, even when implementing substantial levels of social distancing measures.

scholarly journals Time Course of COVID-19 Cases in Austria

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 3270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanns Moshammer ◽  
Michael Poteser ◽  
Kathrin Lemmerer ◽  
Peter Wallner ◽  
Hans-Peter Hutter
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Reproduction Number ◽  
Average Duration ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Reproduction Rate ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Major Outbreak ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a novel coronavirus, which first appeared in China in late 2019, and reached pandemic distribution in early 2020. The first major outbreak in Europe occurred in Northern Italy where it spread to neighboring countries, notably to Austria, where skiing resorts served as a main transmission hub. Soon, the Austrian government introduced strict measures to curb the spread of the virus. Using publicly available data, we assessed the efficiency of the governmental measures. We assumed an average incubation period of one week and an average duration of infectivity of 10 days. One week after the introduction of strict measures, the increase in daily new cases was reversed, and the reproduction number dropped. The crude estimates tended to overestimate the reproduction rate in the early phase. Publicly available data provide a first estimate about the effectiveness of public health measures. However, more data are needed for an unbiased assessment.

scholarly journals The Infection Rate of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Wuhan, China

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui-Qi Qu ◽  
Zhangkai J. Cheng ◽  
Zhifeng Duan ◽  
Lifeng Tian ◽  
Hakon Hakonarson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Mortality Rate ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
New Findings

Summary BoxWhat is already known about this subject?The Wuhan city in China had a much higher mortality rate (Feb 10th statistics: 748 death/18,454 diagnosis =4.05%; Apr 24th statistics: 3,869 death/50,333 diagnosis=7.69%) than the rest of China.What are the new findings?Based on our analysis, the number of infected people in Wuhan is estimated to be 143,000 (88,000 to 242,000) in late January and early February, significantly higher than the published number of diagnosed cases.What are the recommendations for policy and practice?Increased awareness of the original infection rates in Wuhan, China is critically important for proper public health measures at all levels, as well as to eliminate panic caused by overestimated mortality rate that may bias health policy actions by the authorities

scholarly journals Controlling the cascade of corona

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muneeba Azmat
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Limited Data ◽  
Press Releases ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
First Case ◽  
Pandemic Response ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

The pandemic of the 2019 novel Coronavirus has seen unprecedented exponential growth. Within three months, 192 countries have been affected, crossing more than 1 million confirmed cases and over 60 thousand deaths until the first week of April. Decision making in such a pandemic becomes difficult due to limited data on the nature of the disease and its propagation, course, prevention, and treatment. The pandemic response has varied from country to country and has resulted in a heterogeneous timeline for novel Coronavirus propagation. We compared the public health measures taken by various countries and the potential impact on the spread. We studied 6 countries including China, Italy, South Korea, Singapore, United Kingdom(UK), United States(US), and the special administrative region of Hong Kong. All articles, press releases, and websites of government entities published over a five-month period were included. A comparison of the date of the first diagnosed case, the spread of disease, and time since the first case and major public health policy implemented for prevention and containment and current cases was done. An emphasis on early and aggressive border restriction and surveillance of travelers from infected areas, use of information technology, and social distancing is necessary for control of the novel pandemic. Moving forwards, improvement in infrastructure, and adequate preparedness for pandemics is required.

scholarly journals Towards the Other Side of Complexity: Values and Decisions in a Time of Uncertainty

2021 ◽  
pp. 211-214
Author(s):  
Marcelo Knobel
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
The Other ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Great Uncertainty ◽  
Short Time ◽  
First Time

AbstractHumanity is experiencing a moment of great uncertainty. This is not the first time a pandemic threatens the lives of millions of people. However, the speed with which governments and scientists are reacting to events is unprecedented. In an incredibly short time after the discovery of the virus, public health measures were implemented, and the development of defences in the form of public policies, medical therapies, and vaccines began. At this precarious moment, when the proliferation of information (and misinformation) from a variety of sources contribute to the spread of panic, universities and the scientific community emerge as the best and most reliable sources of information. It is only highly qualified specialists who can truly address the pandemic and its terrible economic, political, and public health consequences.

scholarly journals Facemask shortage and the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak: Reflections on public health measures

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
pp. 100329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huai-liang Wu ◽  
Jian Huang ◽  
Casper J.P. Zhang ◽  
Zonglin He ◽  
Wai-Kit Ming
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

scholarly journals Isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment: pivotal role for old-style public health measures in the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Wilder-Smith ◽  
D O Freedman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Movement Restriction ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Public health measures were decisive in controlling the SARS epidemic in 2003. Isolation is the separation of ill persons from non-infected persons. Quarantine is movement restriction, often with fever surveillance, of contacts when it is not evident whether they have been infected but are not yet symptomatic or have not been infected. Community containment includes measures that range from increasing social distancing to community-wide quarantine. Whether these measures will be sufficient to control 2019-nCoV depends on addressing some unanswered questions.

scholarly journals Construction of a Medical Resource Sharing Mechanism Based on Blockchain Technology: Evidence from the Medical Resource Imbalance of China

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 52
Author(s):  
Hu Liu ◽  
Yuxuan Liu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Resource Sharing ◽  
Medical Resource ◽  
Medical Resources ◽  
Technology System ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Resource Storage ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Health equity is a very important part of social equity. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) in a short period of time exposed the problems existing in the allocation of medical resources and the response to major public health emergencies in China. By using Kernel density estimation and Data envelopment analysis (DEA), it is found that the allocation and imbalance of medical resources in China are greatly different among regions, and the polarization phenomenon is obvious. As an important part of the information technology system, blockchain technology is characterized by decentralization and non-tampering. It can realize sharing of medical resources through a mechanism of resource storage, circulation, supervision, and protection. The construction of a medical resource sharing mechanism under the condition of blockchain technology will greatly improve the degree of medical resource sharing, will narrow the differences in resource allocation between regions, and can effectively respond to an outbreak of major public health emergencies.

scholarly journals 2019-nCoV: A Possible Progenitor for SARS-CoV with Bat Origin?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongchang Xu ◽  
Leyi Wang ◽  
Xu Jia ◽  
Youjun Feng
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Respiratory Illness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Evolutionary Origin ◽  
Interspecies Transmission ◽  
Wuhan City ◽  
The Past ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Severe Respiratory Illness

A novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that is initially found to trigger human severe respiratory illness in Wuhan City of China, 2019, has been recognized as a public health emergency of international concern. In the past two months, this deadly agent has caused 77,785 cases with 2,666 deaths via rapid person-to-person transmission and reached at least 25 countries. However, its evolutionary origin is poorly understood. Here we show integrative evidence that 2019-nCoV is a possible progenitor for SARS-CoV with bat origin. Our finding underscores the importance of tracing origin in the efficient monitoring, and effectively preventing the interspecies transmission of such emerging/re-emerging coronaviruses.

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