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Covid-19 Written By Rizwana Noor

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The virus that causes COVID-19 is in a family of viruses called Coronaviridae.

 

COVID-19 first identified:

                                     On 31 December 2019, WHO was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause in Wuhan City, China. A novel coronavirus was identified as the cause by Chinese authorities on 7 January 2020 and was temporarily named “2019-nCoV”. The official names COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 were issued by the WHO on 11 February 2020.

 Why was this named COVID-19?

The name "coronavirus" is derived from Latin corona, meaning "crown" or "wreath", itself a borrowing from Greek κορώνη korṓnē, "garland, wreath" So due to its shape give name Coronavirus.

On 30 January 2020, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General declared the novel coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC), WHO's the highest level of alarm. At that time there were 98 cases and no deaths in 18 countries outside China.  

On 11^th  March 2020, the rapid increase in the number of cases outside China led the WHO Director-General to announce that the outbreak could be characterized as a pandemic. By then more than 118 000 cases had been reported in 114 countries and 4291 deaths had been recorded.

By mid-March 2020, the WHO European Region had become the epicenter of the epidemic, reporting over 40% of globally confirmed cases. As of 28 April 2020, 63% of global mortality from the virus was from the Region. As of 7 September 2021, more than 221 million cases and 4.57 million deaths have been confirmed, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history.

 

Most people who fall sick with COVID-19 will experience mild to moderate symptoms and recover without special treatment. However, some will become seriously ill and require medical attention.

The lungs are the organs most affected by COVID-19 because the virus accesses host cells via the receptor for the enzyme angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), which is most abundant on the surface of type II alveolar cells of the lungs.

Death rate:

                 The covid-19 worldwide death rate has been reported are 4.4millions.

In the USA a huge number .6 million peoples die. In China 5.676 million, In India .4million in Pakistan 25 million people die because of Covid-19. Its eyes opener to me USA is supper power in term of science and technology from the learning and education have been the most Effected.

 

Income loss:

                     Covid increase income loss in various numbers from 2020. The total worldwide loss in US dollars is about 11 trillion. The loss of the US is about 3.2 trillion dollars. Now you can imagine superpower loss. The biggest contribution of the US with the UN also gets a lot of impacts financially as well as human loss.

China has only reputed 382 billion dollars and India 98 billion dollars loss that seems initially India was ok but they went wrong and politicizing. They went wrong in carelessness. In Pakistan 18 billion dollars loss.

Now the most alarming thing to me is the worldwide loss is projected to be whole 28 trillion losses in 2025. This is international human and economic loss. Several countries should wake up leaderships and including Pakistan many countries including Pakistan realize funding.

Covid changes the way of life somehow good or bad. It’s shown the weakness in our health system. Its impact on global health and education.  Covid increases the challenges of life.

Symptoms:

                 COVID-19 affects different people in different ways. Symptoms of COVID-19 are variable, ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Signs and symptoms include respiratory symptoms and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and sometimes death.

Most common symptoms:

· Fever

· Dry cough

· Tiredness

Less common symptoms:

· Aches and pains

· Sore throat

· Diarrhea

· Conjunctivitis

· Headache

· Loss of taste or smell

· A rash on the skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes

· Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

· Chest pain or pressure

· Loss of speech or movement

  

HOW IT SPREADS?

                               The virus can spread from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak, sing or breathe. These particles range from larger respiratory droplets to smaller aerosols.

You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are near someone who has COVID-19, or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose, or mouth. The virus spreads more easily indoors and in crowded settings.

Standard recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 include frequent cleaning of hands using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water; covering the nose and mouth with a flexed elbow or disposable tissue when coughing and sneezing; and avoiding close contact with anyone that has a fever and cough.

 

As of 7 September 2021, there have been at least 4,575,144 confirmed deaths and more than 221,114,526 confirmed cases in the COVID-19 pandemic.  The virus has a 96% similarity to a bat coronavirus, so it is widely suspected to originate from bats as well.

Vaccines:

              On 13^th December 2020, the Us government granted Pfizer legal indemnity for its COVID-19 vaccine.

29^th December 2020, China Sinopharm distributed.

There has been the tremendous number of the vaccine. 

The four main types of vaccines is the method of exposure used.

1) WHOLE VIRUS VACCINE

Vaccines include: Sinopharm, Sinovac

2) RNA or mRNA VACCINE

Vaccines include: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna

3) NON-REPLICATING VIRAL VECTOR

Vaccines include: Oxford-AstraZeneca, Sputnik V (Gamaleya Research Institute)

4) PROTEIN SUBUNIT

Vaccines include: Novavax

Advice for the public:

From 603 days we are still don’t know how long in threats of covid-19.

These days we lose many things but the biggest loss is human loss. For prevention we wear a face mask,  maintain distances, close educational institutes, public places, and borders and till now we don’t know when this will get normal.

WHO continues to encourage individuals to take care of their own health and protect others by:

· washing hands frequently with water and soap or using hand-sanitizing gel;

· maintaining social distancing (keeping a distance of 1 meter (3 feet) between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing);

· avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth;

· wearing a mask as needed;

· following respiratory hygiene (covering your mouth and nose with your folded elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze, then disposing of the used tissue immediately);

· seeking medical care early if you have a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing; 

· Staying informed and following advice given by your health care provider, national and local public health authority, or employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.