COVID-19
CO-Corona
Vi-Virus
D- Disease
2019- the year it was identified first.
It’s an infectious disease caused by SARS -CoV-2,a new type of corona virus detected in China in 2019.
What is a coronavirus?
According to the WHO, coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
These viruses were originally transmitted from animals to people.
- SARS, for instance, was transmitted from civet cats to humans while
- MERS moved to humans from a type of camel.
The name coronavirus comes from the Latin word corona, meaning crown or halo. Under an electron microscope, the looks like it is surrounded by a solar corona.
On February 7, Chinese researchers said the virus could have spread from an infected animal species to humans through illegally-trafficked pangolins, which are prized in Asia for food and medicine.
Scientists have pointed to either bats or snakes as possible sources of the virus.
CLASSIFICATION
The virus has spread from China all around the world, prompting the WHO to label the COVID-19 outbreak a “pandemic.”
Based on the disease prevalence, incidence, and the known or unknown disease pathways, there are several ways an epidemiologist might describe a disease event:
- Sporadic refers to a disease that occurs infrequently or irregularly. Foodborne pathogens, such as Salmonella or E. coli, can often cause sporadic disease outbreaks.
- Cluster refers to a disease that occurs in larger numbers even though the actual number or cause may be uncertain. An example is the cluster of cancer cases often reported after a chemical or nuclear plant disaster.
- Endemic refers to the constant presence and/or usual prevalence of a disease in a geographic population.
- Hyperendemic refers to persistent, high levels of disease well above what is seen in other populations. For example, HIV is hyperendemic in parts of Africa, whereas many as one in five adults has the disease, and endemic in the United States, where roughly one in 300 is infected.
- Epidemic refers to a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected.
- Outbreak carries the same definition as an epidemic but is often used to describe a more limited geographic event.
- Pandemic refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, usually affecting a large number of people.
Is this a global emergency?
Yes, this outbreak is a global health emergency, the WHO said on January 30, raising the alarm further on March 11 when it declared the crisis a pandemic.
There have been five global health emergencies since 2005 when the declaration was formalised: swine flu in 2009, polio in 2014, Ebola in 2014, Zika in 2016 and Ebola again in 2019.
Why ‘physical distancing’ is better than ‘social distancing’?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has started using the phrase “physical distancing” instead of “social distancing” as a way to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus from people to people.
N95 Masks
N: This is a Respirator Rating Letter Class. It stands for “Non-Oil” meaning that if no oil-based particulates are present, then you can use the mask in the work environment. Other masks ratings are R (resistant to oil for 8 hours) and P (oil proof).
95: Masks ending in a 95, have a 95 percent efficiency. Masks ending in a 99 have a 99 percent efficiency. Masks ending in 100 are 99.97 percent efficient and that is the same as a HEPA quality filter.
.3 microns: The masks filter out contaminants like dusts, mists and fumes. The minimum size of .3 microns of particulates and large droplets won’t pass through the barrier.
Material: The filtration material on the mask is an electrostatic non-woven polypropylene fibre.
The Difference Between Quarantine and Isolation
Isolation
- Someone who is already sick with a communicable disease is separated from healthy people.
Quarantine
- Someone who is not yet sick—but has been exposed to a contagious disease— is separated from healthy people.
