Covid 19

COVID 19

is a human respiratory illness transmitted person-to-

person primarily via respiratory droplets as well as

contact with contaminated surfaces caused by a novel

coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2

sars-cov-2 or coronavirus

What is the causative agent?

•Droplet (coughing, sneezing, talking, singing)

•Direct, indirect or close contact  with infected people

through infected secretions such as saliva and   

respiratory secretions or their respiratory droplets;

touching surfaces in the immediate environment or with

objects used on the infected person

•Airborne (can occur during medical procedures: ET

insertion, bronchoscopy, manual ventilation, suctioning,

administration of nebulized treatment, turning the

patient to the prone position, disconnecting the patient

from the ventilator, non-invasive positive-pressure

ventilation, tracheostomy, and cardiopulmonary

resuscitation.

What is the mode of transmission?

1. Age: Most reported cases are in adults of middle age or older

2. Sex/ Gender:  females are more often affected, but disease is more severe in males

3. Various underlying medical conditions (CKD, COPD and so on) and certain disabilities

4. Immunocompromised

5. Those who reside in long-term care or skilled nursing facilities

What are the risk factors?

- Fever, cough, sore throat, congestion

- Fatigue, headache, myalgia

- Loss of taste/smell

- Shortness of breath

- GI symptoms (sometimes)

What are the common symptoms?

• Respiratory: Pneumonia, ARDS, pulmonary embolism

• Cardiac: Myocarditis, arrhythmias, heart failure, clots

• Neurologic: Stroke, encephalopathy, loss of taste/smell

• Renal: Acute kidney injury

• Hematologic: Blood clots, DIC, thrombocytopenia

• Long COVID: Fatigue, brain fog, dyspnea, palpitations

• Other: Secondary infections, MIS

“Lungs, Heart, Brain, Kidneys, Blood → think multi-organ”

What are the complications?

1. Reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction   test (RT-PCR)

2. Antigen Rapid Tests

What is the definitive test and supporting tests?

- Corticosteroids (dexamethasone)

- Antivirals (remdesivir in hypoxic cases)

- Monoclonal antibodies (for outpatients at high risk)- Bamlanivimab

What are the medications?

- Infection control, isolation, PPE for healthcare workers

- Client and family education on hygiene, social distancing, symptom monitoring

What are examples of management?