Different countries-and various sections of the same country-can be in different phases of the pandemic at the same time. Finally, there is a preparation phase, where the pandemic has abated, and public health officials monitor virus activity and prepare for possible additional waves of infection. Then, comes a deceleration phase, when the rate of infection decreases. The CDC recognizes six stages to a pandemic-it starts with an investigation phase, followed by recognition, initiation, and acceleration phases, which is when it peaks. COVID-19, which was declared a pandemic by the WHO in early March, is the first pandemic known to be caused by the emergence of a new coronavirus. Pandemics typically happen when a new virus spreads easily among people who-because the virus is new to them-have little or no pre-existing immunity to it. PandemicĪn epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents, impacting many people.
COVID-19 started as an outbreak in Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei province in China at the end of December 2019, when the Chinese government confirmed that it was treating dozens of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause. This shares the same definition as epidemic, with one exception-an outbreak usually refers to a more limited geographic area. “There is not really a date because there is no background activity of this novel coronavirus in humans,” says Dr. COVID-19 is thought to have reached epidemic proportions in China in mid-January. This refers to a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease, above what is typically expected in a particular area. The baseline, or expected, level of the disease in the community-meaning it always exists, like the common cold and flu, which are usually at low, predictable rates. Below are definitions of a few of those epidemiological terms that you may hear or see reported in the news, especially as they relate to COVID-19. When a disease-and the virus that causes it-begins to spread, epidemiologists (who are considered the basic scientists of public health) take notice, looking for the frequency, patterns, and causes associated with it. Doctors and researchers continue to learn more about the disease, so information about symptoms, prevention, and treatment may change as more data becomes available. While the disease appears to cause mild to moderate illness in most people, in others it has caused life-threatening pneumonia and death. The symptoms of COVID-19 include cough, fever, and shortness of breath. Just as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 causes COVID-19. Animal-to-person spread was suspected after the initial outbreak in December among people who had a link to a large seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, China. While no one knows for sure how SARS-CoV-2 spread from an animal (and what type of animal) to a human, SARS-CoV-2 is a betacoronavirus, which means it originated in bats.
The new coronavirus that causes COVID-19, which is believed to have started in animals and spread to humans. SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) SARS and SARS CoV-2 are related genetically, but the diseases they cause are different. SARS causes fever, headache, body aches, a dry cough, hypoxia (oxygen deficiency), and usually pneumonia. SARS (Severe acute respiratory syndrome)Ī coronavirus, which first infected humans in 2002, that reached epidemic proportions before it was contained-there have been no outbreaks since 2003. SARS CoV-2, the coronavirus virus first discovered in December 2019, causes the disease now known as COVID-19. Coronaviruses can cause the common cold (which can also be caused by other viruses, such as rhinoviruses), as well as dangerous illnesses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). They get their name from the crown-like spikes-coronas-that appear on the viruses under a microscope. A family of viruses, seven of which are known to infect people.
0 kommentar(er)
