THE DEMOGRAPHICAL AND EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)- A REVIEW

Abstract

The arrival and then the spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) or the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-2) threatens the planet with a new form of public health crisis. The novel virus that devised in bats and being transfer to the human beings through yet non identifiable intermediate animals in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. There have been about 13,49,605 cases of coronavirus disease recorded in 2019 (COVID-2019) and 74811 deaths confirmed today (06/04/2020). The disease is transmitted by breathing of the contaminated droplets or by touch. The time of incubation is from 2 to 14 days. The signs generally include cough, fever, breathlessness, sore throat, tiredness, malaise and others. The disease has two extremes ranging from affecting insignificant population but in others it can progress to pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and multi-organ failure in others (usually the elderly people having comorbid conditions like hypertension, diabetes, COPD etc.). Many humans are asymptomatic. The casualty rate of cases is estimated at 2 to 3 per cent. The diagnosis is defined by the presentation of the virus through special molecular tests in respiratory secretions while the laboratory outcomes include normal / low WBC’s counts with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP). The computerized tomographic chest scan is diagnostic and definitive even for those who don’t have any signs or illness. Treatment supports the part including the use of some antiviral drugs basically yet to be authenticate by the health agencies. Prevention is in the form of home separation from suspicious cases, including those with mild diseases. In hospitals there are strict measures to control infections which include precautions for touch and the minute droplets. The virus has the community spread very fast than its two predecessors the SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory coronavirus syndrome (MERS-CoV) but has the least fatality than the above two. The worldwide effect of this is yet indefinite.