1. The disease was first reported on 31st December 2019, described as a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown aetiology in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. On 9th January 2020, China Centre for Disease Control reported a novel coronavirus as the causative agent and on 30th January 2020, COVID-19 Virus was declared by the WHO as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the status of the COVID-19 outbreak from epidemic to pandemic.
2. The COVID-19 virus has been reported in 181 countries of the 200 countries and territories in the world. Over two million people have been infected with the virus with about one hundred and seventy thousand deaths recorded worldwide.
3. Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Micronesia, Tonga, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, Nauru, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan have not yet reported any case of COVID-19 Virus Infection. Although many have restricted travel and taken other steps to prevent the arrival or spread of the virus.
4. 4 stages characterise a global pandemic:
On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) upgraded the status of the COVID-19 outbreak from epidemic to pandemic.
2. The COVID-19 virus has been reported in 181 countries of the 200 countries and territories in the world. Over two million people have been infected with the virus with about one hundred and seventy thousand deaths recorded worldwide.
3. Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Micronesia, Tonga, the Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu, Nauru, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan have not yet reported any case of COVID-19 Virus Infection. Although many have restricted travel and taken other steps to prevent the arrival or spread of the virus.
4. 4 stages characterise a global pandemic:
- Stage I – Imported Cases – Infected people are individuals with travel history to affected countries.
- Stage II - Local transmission - People who have brought the virus into the country transmit to close contacts usually friends and family. Stage III - Community Transmission - Infection in people who have not travelled. Here control becomes difficult.
- Stage IV - Widespread Disease – infection becomes widespread with major cluster all over the country.
5. COVID-19 virus causes a mild disease characterised by fever, cough, sore throat and generalised weakness in 80-90% of cases. Mild respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms are predominant among children with very few fatal cases.
6. People with Hypertension appeared to have the highest risk of having severe form of disease follow by Diabetes, Chronic lung disease, Immuno-compromised condition, Chronic renal disease, Chronic liver disease and Pregnant women.
7. Smokers are 1.4 times more likely to have severe symptoms of COVID-19 and approximately 2.4 times more likely to be admitted to an ICU, need mechanical ventilation or die compared to non-smokers.
8. Persons aged 65 years and above accounted for 90% of all deaths worldwide.
9. Healthcare workers account for 3.8 - 26% of the total infection, 14.8% were severely or critically ill and 5% of the severe cases died.
10. There is no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. However, drugs previously developed to treat other diseases are being tested to see if they might also be effective against the virus.
11. Currently, there are no vaccines to protect against Covid-19 Infection. Although, several researches jeered towards developing a vaccine are ongoing of which, human clinical trial have commenced for some. Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021.
12. Prior Infection with COVID-19 confers no immunity against subsequent infection.
6. People with Hypertension appeared to have the highest risk of having severe form of disease follow by Diabetes, Chronic lung disease, Immuno-compromised condition, Chronic renal disease, Chronic liver disease and Pregnant women.
7. Smokers are 1.4 times more likely to have severe symptoms of COVID-19 and approximately 2.4 times more likely to be admitted to an ICU, need mechanical ventilation or die compared to non-smokers.
8. Persons aged 65 years and above accounted for 90% of all deaths worldwide.
9. Healthcare workers account for 3.8 - 26% of the total infection, 14.8% were severely or critically ill and 5% of the severe cases died.
10. There is no specific antiviral treatment for COVID-19. However, drugs previously developed to treat other diseases are being tested to see if they might also be effective against the virus.
11. Currently, there are no vaccines to protect against Covid-19 Infection. Although, several researches jeered towards developing a vaccine are ongoing of which, human clinical trial have commenced for some. Most experts think a vaccine is likely to become available by mid-2021.
12. Prior Infection with COVID-19 confers no immunity against subsequent infection.
Insightful. Thank you Medforte
ReplyDeleteTankz for d information
ReplyDeleteTks
ReplyDelete