COVID-19

COVID-19 Basics

Covid-19 is an infectious respiratory illness caused by a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus)

Modes of Transformation

  • Aerosols: small (less than 5 microns) particles that can remain suspended in the air for hours and can travel 20 to 30 feet infected with virsus

    • priniciple way of spreading

  • Respiratory Droplets: particles that are larger than 5 microns that usually drop to the ground quickly within 3-6 feet of the source.

    • principle way of spreading

  • Fomite: becoming infected by touching the surface that an infected individual had just touched

    • much less likely to contract COVID-19

Variants

  • SARS-CoV-2 evoles/mutated and new variants developed and spread

  • Variants contain changes in the virus’ RNA

  • September 2021, the U.S government was monitoring 11 variants

    • Delta and Omicron variants were of concern because they are more infectious than other strands

    • Omicron variant reinfections became common

Origins of the COVID-19 Pandemic

There are two major theories on the origins; it is zoonotic or that it escaped from a lab

  • Zoonotic disease: disease that is spread from animals to humans

    • Most emerging diseases, including HIV, epidemic flu, Ebola, and the coronavirus that causes SARS and MERS are zoonotic

  • The origins are still unknown

    • inconclusive data

    • Government agencies in charge of investigating were divided on the root cause

  • Long COVID

    • Refers to symptoms that last longer than 4 to 8 weeks after infection or to new symptoms that appear.

    • Long Haulers: individuals who have long COVID

    • Between 10 and 30 percent of adults who have COVID-19 become long haulers

    • Because the symptoms experienced by long COVID are so diverse, there is no definitive definition of long COVID yet

  • Brain Fog: change in cognitive function that is marked by memory problems and a struggle to think clearly.

    • The fatigue can be extreme and prevent someone from working

  • Theories

    • May have to do with a strong immune system response

    • There could still be the virus present

Public Health Infrastructure

  • Provides communities, states and even the Nation the capacity to prevent disease, ,promote health, and prepare for and repond to both emergency threats and ongoing challenges to health

    • Foundation for planning, delivering, evaluating, and improving public health

    • Complex system involving federal, state, tribal, and local health agencies, laboratories, and hospitals as well as nongovernmental public and private agencies, voluntary organizations, and individuals’

  • Federal Organizations

    • Center For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

      • Investigation and control of contagious disease, environmental health, and health promotion and education

    • Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

      • Ensure the safety of food and cosmetics and the safety of drugs and medical devices

    • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)

      • Reduces the impact of substance misuse and mental illness

    • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

      • Improves health care for people who are geographically isolated and economically or medically vulnerable

  • Public Health programs such as immunization, infectious and chronic disease monitoring, and clean drinking water depend on public health infrastructure.

    • Public health systems include

      • Health professionals

      • Information systems

      • Public Health organizations

    • It should be able to identify and investigate community health problems; educate and empower the community by developing partnerships; develop policies that support public health and enforce health and safety regulations; link people to health services; evaluate tehse services, and do research into new ways of approaching public health issues

  • Public Health Infrastructure includes qualifies workplace, accurate data, and health departments tha can assess and respond to public health issues

    • A robust public health system should be able to provide protection against disease, disaster, and bioterrorism; it needs to focus on prevention, preparedness, and surveillance