Introduction
Corona Virus 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 route, epidemiologic factors, reporting procedure and strategies for preventing the outbreak.
Florida is my local CDC region, 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 disease control and prevention centres reported that many persons in the state had contracted the COVID-19 virus (Florida Health, 2021). As a result, in April same year, 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, whereby 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 countiesâ economies.
Causes and Symptoms of COVID-19
Most individuals who have contracted the Coronavirus experience mild to balanced 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 a mild case with lifelong effects.
Risk Factors Associated with COVID-19
One factor that increases the risk of contracting Coronavirus is age, whereby individuals of any age may get the disease. However, the SARS-CoV-2 virus most commonly affects middle-aged and elderly adults. The vulnerability of contracting the disease has advanced, with individuals over 85 years at increased risk of severe symptoms. About 81 percent of the deaths reported in the United States due to these diseases have been in individuals over 65 years (Geng et al., 2021). 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 that cause COVID-19. Some treatments and conditions that may weaken the immunity system include bone marrow and organ transplants, HIV/AIDS, cancer treatments, and extended prednisone use. 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 moved all over the body.
Since the Coronavirus targets the lungs, an individual with acute lung conditions is 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 diseases, such as congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and heart failure, can make a person increase their risk of developing Coronavirus symptoms.
The Route of Transmission and Epidemiological Determinant 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. The second type of this disease develops in humans whereby the disease 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. 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.
Agent, the environment and the host are crucial epidemiologic determinants of Coronavirus. The community, as the host, plays a key role in preventing the disease. For instance, it has implemented indoor policies, social distancing, restrictive hospital visitation, interim cancellations of elective surgical cases, and promotion of personal protective equipment to reduce the virusâs spread (Tsui et al., 2020). Other prevention measures include practicing restriction of travelling from regions with widespread, ongoing spread, respiratory hygiene and self-quarantine of infected persons. One of the epidemiological determinants of Coronavirus is diabetes, suggesting that individuals with diabetes mellitus are most likely to get infected and are at higher risk of mortality from the pandemic.
Effects of COVID-19 Outbreak in My Community at the System Level
An outbreak of the Corona Virus can cripple the normal functioning of schools, local governments, and hospitals at the community level. An international community impacted by the pandemic is New York City. At the systems level, COVID-19 interrupted the education, finance, and transport sectors, among other levels. The effects are devastating because they damage communities and householdsâ 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 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 caregiversâ abandonment and death due to decreased or lack of parental guidance. For instance, teenage girls may be vulnerable to transactional sex to cater for their basic financial needs. Similarly, femalesâ 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 to visit 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 in price of goods. As a result, the family income would reduce following the loss of wage earners to sickness, quarantine, or death and the additional expenditure they might have concerning 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 providersâ availability and capability to give care reduce 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 nationâs ability to manage instability.
Comparison of an Outbreak that Occurred in a Country Outside of the U.S.
COVID-19âs 2019 outbreak in the last quarter of 2019 affected different groups variedly. However, the employed group worldwide suffered significantly more from the pandemic (Venkatesh, 2020). Lockdowns, travel restrictions, business and school closures, and other intermediations requiring people to avoid congested areas impacted employment, employed individuals, and trade adversely. The lockdown intervention denied billions of workers engaged in different jobs the chance to leave their houses to work. The same facet led to the closure of companies that employed the working class, leading to reduced or challenged earnings. According to Bhattacharjee and Acharya (2020), many working people fell ill due to life challenges related to basic materials deficiency after losing jobs due to business closure. Lockdowns and school closures further forced many people to migrate from cities to rural areas, where they led homeless life. Accordingly, the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected numerous global communities, including school-going children, but caused a more painful impact on persons initially dependent on formal and non-formal employment.
Reporting Protocol of an Infectious Disease Outbreak from the Local Levels to the CDC
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 local levels 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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). If the local health facility cannot be reached during regular working hours, contact the Illinois management agencies at 800-782-7860, 217-787-7165, or 217-782-7860.
Before reporting directly to the CDC, case surveillance is done at all public health departments, which 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 it is monitored for the whole nation.
Strategies for Preventing the Outbreak of COVID-19
One of the effective strategies 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 personâs 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 the promotion of 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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