Causes and Symptoms of COVID-19
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) is a communicable respiratory disease believed to be caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This virus started to spread worldwide in late 2019, with its origin being traced to a food market in Wuhan, China. The virus has been responsible for over two hundred million infections globally, causing more than 4.5 million deaths, with America recording the highest number of deaths by December 2019 (World Health Organization, n.d.). The older generation and those individuals with underlying health problems, including coronary artery disease, diabetes, and acute respiratory diseases, are most likely to develop serious illnesses. This research paper discusses the risk factors, transmission routes, epidemiologic factors, reporting procedures, and strategies for preventing the outbreak.
My local CDC region is Region C, where the COVID-19 virus outbreak was reported in March 2020. The first two cases of Coronavirus in this region were discovered in Hillsborough and Manatee counties (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023). On March 11, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that many persons in the state had contracted the COVID-19 virus (Florida Health, 2021). As a result, in April, the governor announced a public health emergency. He issued a government regulation to restrain activities in all corners of Florida to those considered basic services.
Another region impacted by Coronavirus is North Carolina, where the first case was reported on March 3, 2020. Additionally, the virus was detected in Georgia and South Carolina on March 2, 2020. The pandemic impacted all segments of the population in these regions, resulting in unemployment and the shutdown of the counties’ economies.
Most individuals who have contracted the Coronavirus experience mild to moderate respiratory diseases and get better without necessarily having specialized treatment. Scientists and physicians state that people may carry the disease for between two days and two weeks before showing any signs of infection (World Health Organization, n.d). Some symptoms associated with Coronavirus include fever, fatigue, cough that becomes severe with time, shortness of breath, runny nose, and congestion. Other less common signs include loss of taste, pink eye, muscle pains and aches, rashes, and sore throats (He et al., 2020). It is worth noting that many individuals with Coronavirus will only have mild cases with lifelong effects.
Risk Factors Associated with COVID-19
One of the risk factors that increases the likelihood of contracting a viral disease is older age. The immune system becomes weaker with age and more susceptible to viruses. Vulnerability to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus has increased, and people over 85 years of age are at increased risk of severe symptoms. About 81 percent of reported deaths from these diseases in the United States occur in people over 65 years of age (Geng et al., 2021). Region C is at risk because statistics show that South Carolina has 19% of persons 65 years and over, North Carolina has 17%, Georgia has 14.7%, and Florida has the highest rate of 21.1% (United States Census Bureau QuickFacts, n.d.). The vulnerability is even higher for the older generation, mainly when they have other health problems.
The other risk factor for contracting COVID-19 is when a person has other underlying medical conditions. For instance, having a weak immune system may make it challenging for the body to fight germs. Some treatments and conditions that may weaken the immunity system include bone marrow and organ transplants, HIV/AIDS, cancer treatments, and extended prednisone use. The same is true for coronaviruses, which can make people more susceptible to developing COVID-19 infections when they have autoimmune illnesses.
Another condition that increases the risk of contracting Coronavirus is sickle cell disease, a genetic disease (Geng et al., 2021). Consequently, the deformed erythrocytes die prematurely, so oxygen is not distributed all over the body. Since the Coronavirus targets the lungs, individuals with acute lung conditions are more likely to develop COVID-19. Some lung problems, including asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, hypertension, lung carcinoma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, might weaken the immune system.
Finally, having most types of heart disease, such as congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure, can increase a person’s risk of developing Coronavirus symptoms. These risks related to the Coronavirus apply to Region C as well as the rest of the territory. The epidemic has a more significant impact on coastal regions than inland ones. This demonstrates how the virus spread throughout the US, with region C suffering the most severe effects. To reduce the risks of escalating and cascading climate hazards and produce co-benefits for health, post-COVID-19 recovery efforts must be integrated with national climate change and air quality strategies.
Transmission and Epidemiological Determinants of COVID-19
COVID-19 is zoonotic, first developing in an animal before spreading to humans. The transmission is possible when a human comes in contact with an infected animal. Advanced farms, well-known for being in Region C, maybe a virus transmission route. Warm climates are often more conducive to the spread of viruses, including COVID-19. The humid subtropical climate of Region C, which includes the South Atlantic states of the United States, contributed to the epidemic’s active development. The virus is able to grow more quickly in the maritime climate, making Region C more affected by the outbreak.
The second type of this disease develops in humans, and it is transmitted from one individual to another through respiratory aerosols (Roy & Khalse, 2020). When a person coughs, sneezes, or talks, the virus hangs around these droplets and may be inhaled into the respiratory system, where it causes an infection in this region. Region C has a well-developed industry and plantations, and its employees cannot be moved to remote work.
As a result, there was no restriction on contact between workers who could share the virus. It is also possible for people to acquire COVID-19 if they touch their nose, mouth, or eyes after coming into contact with an object or a surface on it. However, one can contract the infection mainly through close contact with individuals with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Region C is known for its resorts and thriving tourism industry. Due to the fact that many people from other states and countries brought the virus to the cities, this fact also served as a means of spreading the virus. The restaurant industry thrives in areas where customers frequently sit close to one another. As a result, when restrictions were lifted, travelers visited cafes and restaurants where they were spreading the disease to one another.
Effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak at the System Level
An outbreak of the Coronavirus can cripple the normal functioning of schools, local governments, and hospitals at the community level. At the systems level, COVID-19 interrupted the education, finance, and transport sectors, among others, impacting my community. The effects are devastating because they damage communities and household connections. The survivors, including the healthcare providers and families, may experience stigmatization, resulting in economic marginalization and social exclusion (Shi et al., 2020).
Furthermore, the education sector is negatively impacted because an outbreak of COVID-19 may lead to the closure of schools due to the fear of contagion. Months of schooling are lost, and some learners find enrolling hard after the pandemic has ended. For instance, investments in the education systems would be diverted toward responding to the crisis. Children may be prone to abuse, manipulation, and brutal experiences due to their caregivers’ abandonment and death due to decreased or lack of parental guidance. For instance, teenage girls may be vulnerable to transactional sex to cater to their basic financial needs.
Similarly, females’ social duties may put them at risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 Virus (Shi et al., 2020). Their livelihoods could suffer because of time spent on caring responsibilities or when the outbreak and its response hardest hit their occupied sectors. Furthermore, the livelihoods and the economy are adversely impacted by a pandemic of disease outbreaks, including the Coronavirus, in the immediate and long term after the pandemic ends. The short-term costs of the response are generally high, and diminished tax incomes may exacerbate the financial stresses caused by these increased costs.
Moreover, economic development declined following the COVID-19 outbreak and the immediate response activities (Chakraborty & Maity, 2020). Fear-induced behavioral changes, such as avoiding visiting marketplaces and workstations, result in economic disruption. The labor force is decreased because of mortality, sickness, and fear of interacting with others.
Prevention measures such as travel restrictions or prohibitions, quarantine, and shutdown of borders and public places such as restaurants and markets would significantly affect the economy. For instance, some sectors, like tourism, stand the risk of downturns in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak owing to the fear of contagion. The aid response has adverse effects on the local economy, affecting employment and increasing the price of goods. As a result, family income would be reduced following the loss of wage earners to sickness, quarantine, or death, as well as the additional expenditures they might have incurred for healthcare. The coping measures would decrease future income opportunities and increase vulnerability to future uncertainties and shocks.
Additionally, fragile healthcare systems would struggle to cope with their everyday health diseases in the event of an outbreak because of the depletion of the diversion of resources, funds, and human resources from routine healthcare. Fear, infection control interventions, travel bans, or a reduction in trust may stop individuals from accessing healthcare facilities (Chakraborty & Maity, 2020). That results in additional deaths from causes other than infection, a reduction in routine childhood vaccinations, and a decline in maternal health services. Health providers’ availability and capability to give care are reduced during an outbreak due to demises, sicknesses, and fear-driven absenteeism.
Regarding the local governments, an outbreak of disease, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, would increase political tensions and stress. Most acute and sudden illnesses have an increased risk of death and lack adequate and precise scientific knowledge and efficient treatment alternatives, which are most likely to lead to instability. Pandemic coercive responses might result in violence, protests, and strains between the government and its citizens, mainly where trust in the state is already low. Lastly, when security forces are affected, this would adversely affect the nation’s ability to manage instability.
Comparison to an Outbreak in a Country Outside of the US
Regarding restrictions and infection, the COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant impact on every nation. The introduction of government policies affected how the epidemic spread. The authorities and governments of most states followed the path of introducing bans and fines, minimizing all kinds of direct personal contact with citizens (Venkatesh, 2020). There have been closures of public spaces, schools, kindergartens, universities, and transportation, as well as the transition of workers to remote work in various nations, including the United States.
However, there is a country where the authorities have found their solutions, which are very different from those generally accepted and implemented in most other states, including the United States. The first case of the disease was recorded on February 16; then, on February 28, there were 11 patients; March 4 – 50; March 6 – 137; March 9 – 260; 11 – 500; 15 – 1040; 23 -2046; 30 – 4028 and went further growth (Claeson & Hanson, 2021). Unlike in the United States, kindergartens and elementary schools continued to operate and accept students during this time when there was an increase in cases throughout the nation. The Swedish government and the nation’s top epidemiologist believed that the majority of Swedes needed to be infected in order for them to develop herd immunity.
Like the United States of America, the virus spread rapidly at the beginning of the epidemic. Around 24 thousand people were infected overall in Sweden in May 2020, and more than 1,600 of them required intensive care, which is less than in the US when considering the population proportions (Claeson & Hanson, 2021). One aspect of the Swedish response to the COVID-19 epidemic was the government’s attempt to avoid direct involvement in formulating and making specific decisions, giving epidemiologists priority.
Reporting Protocol of an Infectious Disease Outbreak
Even though the primary reporting responsibility of an outbreak rests with physicians, directors of daycare centers, infection control practitioners, school nurses, state institutions, and healthcare facilities, or any other person providing healthcare, should report a pandemic. For the care of Florida, the reports must be made to the health department at the local level in the region where the patient resides and must be submitted within twenty-four hours of diagnosis. However, other illnesses warrant immediate action and must be reported to the local health facilities by telephone or to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; if the local health facility cannot be reached during regular working hours, contact the Illinois management agencies.
Case surveillance is conducted at all public health departments before reporting directly to the CDC. This aids in understanding the disease and its transmission and determining appropriate measures to control the outbreak. It entails gathering information about an individual diagnosed with a condition that poses a severe health threat. The health facilities work closely with the hospitals and healthcare givers, among other partners, to obtain the information required to track, control, and prevent the outbreak in their communities. The health department then notifies the CDC about the specific conditions so that the nation is monitored.
Strategies for Preventing the COVID-19 Outbreak
One effective strategy recommended for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 is increasing patient education. If someone in the family has Coronavirus, it is essential to adopt educational practices that prevent the infected person from infecting others, including improving ventilation in the sick person’s room. In addition, the infected person must be separated from other people and use a different bathroom as much as possible, clean the objects that are touched frequently, wash hands, and have them wear a face mask. This strategy will help lower the chances of spreading the disease from one individual to another.
The other strategy is promoting vaccination at the community level. This is important as it aids in protecting individuals by creating a strong immunity system without potentially severe illness and post-coronavirus disease.
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