What is COVID-19
A pneumonia of unknown origin, COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease) was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Office in China on December 31, 2019. The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30th, 2020, and on March 11th was deemed a pandemic.
Pandemics occur when a new virus emerges that is infectious, and spreads sustainably. The spread of a novel virus worldwide results from a lack of or weak preexisting immunity within the population. Containing a novel virus can be challenging due to the extensive time required to generate a vaccine and to develop effective therapies.
In the past century, there have been four pandemics caused by the emergence of novel influenza viruses. The current pandemic is the first to be caused by a coronavirus. As a result, research efforts have historically focused on novel influenza viruses to the exclusion of other genera. Still, much can be learned from past efforts and be applied presently. Knowledge accumulated from other coronavirus outbreaks, such as MERS and SARS, have guided current interventions.
The progression of viral pandemics associated with respiratory disease are described by the “Pandemics Intervals Framework.” The first phase of such pandemics is the investigation phase, followed by recognition, initiation, and acceleration. The number of illnesses caused by the pandemic peaks at the end of the acceleration phase, which is then followed by a deceleration phase, during which the number of illnesses decreases.
Different countries or subregions may reach the various phases of pandemic progression at separate points in time. The progression of COVID-19 is being carefully monitored by health institutes around the world including the CDC, and containment strategies are evolving rapidly.
Recommendations
The spread of Coronavirus can be significantly slowed or even reversed by observing strict containment strategies. China has already demonstrated the spread of the virus can be slowed and its impact reduced through the implementation of practical strategies including identification and quarantine of infected individuals, appropriate training of healthcare workers, appropriate use of protective equipment, and preparing hospitals and clinics to manage surges in emergency department visits and hospital admissions.
The enforcement of recommended procedures by community members to prevent person-to-person transmission is key to reversing infection trends. Every person has the capacity to contribute to containment by protecting themselves and others from transmission. Individuals should maintain alertness when using healthcare facilities, traveling to work, and when interacting with others within your community and at home. Washing hands regularly, including before and after contact with others, covering emissions such as sneezes and coughs, disinfecting all exposed surfaces, refraining from touching the face, and maintaining a distance of at least six feet from others are indicated precautions. The combined efforts of individuals allow healthcare systems time to adjust, and provide researchers the time they need to develop vaccines and/or therapies.
WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard
RESOURCES
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Coronavirus (COVID-19)
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
World Health Organization – Responding to COVID-19 real time training for the corona virus disease outbreak
https://openwho.org/channels/covid-19
World Health Organization – Country and Technical Guidance
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance
World Health Organization – Situation daily updates- Dashboard
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/685d0ace521648f8a5beeeee1b9125cd