Communicable Disease Project Covid-19 1
Communicable Disease Project Covid-19 1
Communicable Disease Project Covid-19 1
Hunter A. Terrell
Health Science II
Mr. Tah
I. Introduction
COVID-19 was the worst thing to happen within the past few years. What is coronavirus
disease (COVID-19)? COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease that can be very contagious
and spread easily. The disease is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus 2). It started a global pandemic that has affected people all over the world.
Research and studies have proved that COVID-19 originated in bats. The CDC states that the
deadly outbreak started on January 10, 2020, when it first was discovered in Wuhan, China and
soon traveled to other countries. It’s important to wash hands, wear masks, and practice social
distance to stay safe and healthy. Vaccines are also an available option to help protect against the
virus. According to the World Health Organization, COVID-19 can be described as “An
infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Most people infected with the virus will
experience mild to moderate respiratory illness and recover without requiring special treatment.”
There are a lot of different topics we will discuss in this paper. Some of these include how the
disease is transmitted, the diagnosis, possible complications, relative frequency, and much more.
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transported by air. People who carry the disease and are infected with it can release particles and
droplets from respiratory fluids that contain the virus into the air when they exhale. This can
happen from various activities such as quiet breathing, speaking, singing, exercise, coughing,
and sneezing. There are different variations in the sizes of these droplets and particles. When the
particles are released into the air they move away from the person who released them in the first
place. These particles and droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people nearby, or be
inhaled into the lungs. The droplets convey the virus and transmit infection. A person can be
exposed to COVID-19 in many different ways. You can catch the disease by talking to someone
with the disease or being near someone with it. The disease can be transmitted both directly and
indirectly. A person can catch COVID-19 as mentioned earlier just by talking to someone or
touching them, but also by touching objects that are contaminated with it. That is why it is
important to follow certain guidelines to reduce the risk of transmission. How do we detect the
disease? COVID-19 diagnosis is typically done through a test called PCR test. It involves taking
a swab from the nose or throat to detect the presence of the virus. This test is considered the
golden standard test for the disease and the results are very accurate because it detects the genetic
material of the virus. Rapid antigen tests are also available for quick results. However there's
more of a chance that the results are inaccurate compared to the PCR test, there are antibody tests
designed to reveal if you had a previous infection. The testing availability and procedures may
vary depending on your location and healthcare system. If you suspect you have COVID-19 or
have been in close contact with someone who tested positive, it's important to get tested and
The disease course of COVID-19 can vary from person to person. Some individuals may
experience mild symptoms or even be asymptomatic, while others may develop more severe
symptoms that require hospitalization. Common symptoms include fever, cough, and difficulty
breathing. You should monitor symptoms closely. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia and
organ failure. It's important to seek medical attention if you experience worsening symptoms or
have difficulty breathing. After exposure to the virus, it can take anywhere from a few days to
two weeks for symptoms to appear. People who are infected might experience fatigue, body
aches, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell. Let's talk about possible complications of
COVID-19. While many people experience mild symptoms and recover fully, there can be more
severe complications, especially in older adults and those with underlying health conditions.
Some possible complications include pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS),
blood clotting issues, heart problems, and multi-organ failure. It's important to take the necessary
precautions to prevent the spread of the virus and seek medical attention if you experience
worsening symptoms.
COVID-19 has affected a large number of people worldwide, with varying degrees of
severity. According to the Pew Research Center “In the early months of the pandemic, cases and
deaths were heavily concentrated in the metropolitan areas of New York, New Orleans, Boston
and Detroit” While many individuals experience not so bad symptoms, there is still a significant
number of cases that result in severe illness and even death. The relative frequency of severe
cases depends on various factors such as age, underlying health conditions, and access to
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healthcare. Even young and healthy people can still develop severe symptoms. The target
audience for COVID-19 is everyone, as the virus can affect people of all ages. However, certain
groups such as older adults and those with underlying health conditions are at a higher risk of
severe illness,
If you are interested the CDC offers a data tracker on COVID-19. As of today the amount of
deaths due to the disease is 1,141,782 and the number of people who have been hospitalized is
6,308,630. That is a lot of people in both situations and this is why it is important to take the
right precautions. It is especially important that healthcare workers follow the precautions
because healthcare professionals are the ones who are constantly treating people with different
sicknesses and without our healthcare workers we wouldn’t have anyone to create a better
outcome. It is everyone's responsibility to do what they can to prevent transmission for not only
themselves but others. How severe is COVID-19 in the elderly? The National Library of
Medicine states that “Early and late reports showed that older adults have increased severity of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with higher case fatality rates and higher intensive care
needs compared with younger adults. Infection and vaccine-induced antibody response and
long-term effects of COVID-19 also differ in older adults.” The elderly and adults are more at
risk than those who are younger and possibly healthier because older people have waning
immunity and chronic conditions. On July 3, 2023 CBS published an article called “How many
Americans still haven't caught COVID?” Research found that about 1 in 4 people had still not
coughed COVID-19 in 2022, but now according to new data 77.5% had antibodies from at least
one previous infection. Just because you’ve had COVID-19 once doesn't mean you can't catch it
again, having the antibodies from a prior infection does not mean people are protected against
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the disease. A question a lot of people have is when will COVID-19 end? The only answer we
have to this is that researchers and scientists think that it is here indefinitely. On May 11, 2023,
President Joe Biden declared an end to COVID-19 and a national state of emergency but does
this mean COVID-19 went away? The simple answer is no, OSF Healthcare stated that
“COVID-19 is still a pandemic, and the virus continues to mutate into other variants, infecting
V. Summary
lives all around the world and originated in bats found in China. The disease is considered an
airborne disease because it's transmitted through the air. The disease can spread very quickly and
can be very contagious, for some more than others especially those who are older. There are
many different ways to fight against the disease and decrease the risk of infection by following
certain precautions, and guidelines, and getting vaccinated. COVID-19 can be spread directly
from a person by many different ways or indirectly by touching something that is contaminated
with the virus that someone who has the disease is most likely infected with. We diagnose people
with the virus through a test called PCR which is the gold standard for testing. Rapid antigen
tests are also available but are less accurate along with antibody tests to reveal if you had the
disease ever before. Some individuals experience very mild symptoms while others can
experience none but some can deal with severe symptoms. In some cases, there can be serious
complications related to the disease. The relative frequency of severe cases depends on various
factors such as age, health, and previous medical conditions. The target audience for COVID-19
is everyone because we can all be infected. The amount of people that have been hospitalized
and died is horrible. COVID-19 is declared over, but the virus will never end. In conclusion,
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COVID-19 is affecting the lives of everyone so we must do our best to fight against it and do
‘
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References
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
NW, 1615 L. St, et al. “Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) - Research and Data from the Pew
www.pewresearch.org/topic/coronavirus-disease-covid-19/.
2023.
www.cbsnews.com/feature/coronavirus/.