Covid-19

Medical Microbiology Disease of the Week 1

Causative organism

Sars-Cov-2

Classification

Virus (enveloped with spike protein)

Epidemiology

reservoir- humans & some other animals

portal of entry- respiratory tract & conjunctiva

transmission- direct contact & aerosol droplet

Incubation

2-14 days

Pathogenesis

viral replication in airway & cardiovascular cells causes cell death and inflammation

leaky bood vessels and small clots cause pneumonia and damage organs

symptoms

1- asymptomatic, but test +

2- caugh, soar throat, fever, shortness of breath, loss of taste/smell, nausea, diarrhea

3- (pneumonia) difficulty breathing, chest pain, and low O2

Complications

low BP, organ failure, strokes, chronic fatigue, mortality 10% hospitalized patients

Treatment

rest, isolation, monoclonal antibodies, antivirals (Paxlovid or Remdesivir), immunomodulators

Prevention

vaccination, PPE, testing