The COVID-19 Pandemic

The Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak

Tapas Kumar Koley, Monika Dhole

• Publisher: Routledge India
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000214017
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Public Health, Administration & Care

This volume presents a comprehensive account of the COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the novel coronavirus pandemic, as it happened.

Originating in China in late 2019, the COVID-19 outbreak spread across the entire world in a matter of three to fourmonths. This volume examines the first responses to the pandemic, the contexts of earlier epidemics and the epidemiological basics of infectious diseases. Further, it discusses patterns in the spread of the disease; the management and containment of infections at the personal, national and global level; effects on trade and commerce; the social and psychological impact on people; the disruption and postponement of international events; the role of various international organizations like the WHO in the search for solutions; and the race for a vaccine or a cure.

Authored by a medical professional and an economist working on the frontlines, this book gives a nuanced, verified and fact-checked analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic and its global response. A one-stop resource on the COVID-19 outbreak, it is indispensablefor every reader anda holistic work for scholars and researchers of medical sociology, public health, political economy, public policy and governance, sociology of health and medicine, andparamedical and medical practitioners. It will also be a great resource for policymakers, government departments and civil society organizations working in the area.

1
INTRODUCTION

The world is fighting a global war against a newly discovered strain of coronavirus. The new strain of coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2 by International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses, was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, in December 2019 and has now rapidly spread across almost all the countries of the world. The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection was named COVID-19 (short version of coronavirus disease 2019, previously known as 2019 novel coronavirus) by the WHO.¹ The virus has genetic similarity to the SARS-CoV virus which was responsible for the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2002–2003.

Coronavirus infection not only has caused disease and death but has also affected almost every aspect of human life. It has resulted in the disruption of daily lives with cities and countries under lockdown, with many international sporting events, social events, marriages and other ceremonies being postponed or cancelled, triggering a global economic crisis. Almost every industry has been affected throughout the world. Stock markets have crashed. Airlines, the hospitality industry and the travel and tourism sector have been crippled. It has also led to widespread job losses across sectors.

The world was not ready to face such a crisis of such proportions. Lessons from the past were not heeded, and the warning signs were not taken seriously enough. Healthcare workers, first responders, essential service providers and others on the frontlines have taken a direct hit. They are trying their best to fight against the deadly virus with little protective gear and are falling prey to the virus at an alarming rate.

In the past, epidemics were associated with overcrowding, lack of health and hygiene and poor sanitation facilities and yet did not spread at this scale globally. Travelling by ship and later by air enabled a local outbreak to spread globally and take the shape of a pandemic. In 1968, influenza became the first pandemic to spread by air travel.² It was followed by an epidemic of acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis that spread between international airports.³ This was the dawn of the modern era of epidemics, where infections in one country could easily spread to another in a short time. Human movement, environmental factors, rapid population rise, inadequate sanitation facilities, poverty and the impact of human activities on the ecosystem have vastly increased the possibility of infectious diseases and the development of pandemics in recent times. It has reached a point where it will suffice to point out that we human beings are now our own enemies.

According to the WHO, by May 15, 2020, there were 4,338,658 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and the death toll had reached 297,119 people globally (Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2).⁴ The progression of the global count of confirmed cases and the mounting death toll are depicted in Figure 1.3 and Figure 1.4. However, there is variation in the data collected by reputed institutions like Johns Hopkins University and the WHO. The reasons are many. It depends on how a case of COVID-19 is defined and on the method for collecting data. Efforts to tabulate the data became more difficult because test kits were not ready when the pandemic started while many people were affected, and the world suffered casualties even before the right diagnosis could be made. True numbers probably will never be fully known; however, data do not always tell the story of misery, death, despair and horror inflicted by a deadly foe.

The WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020, and a ‘pandemic’ on March 11, 2020.⁵ Declaration of pandemic and widespread death all across the world and especially in developed countries of the West has resulted in widespread fear and panic. The absence of medicine and vaccine for the treatment and prevention of coronavirus infection has added fuel to fire. The medical community had very little knowledge at the beginning about this faceless enemy.

Figure 1.1 Total Number of Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Worldwide by May 15, 2020

Source: WHO.

FIGURE 1.2 Total Number of Deaths Due to COVID-19 Worldwide by May 15, 2020

Source: WHO.

FIGURE 1.3 Progression of Total Number of Confirmed Cases of COVID-19 Worldwide

Source: WHO.

Many questions have been raised regarding the role of China,⁶ where the outbreak started, and the role of the WHO in the mitigation of the COVID-19 pandemic. China is facing a global backlash over the mishandling of the coronavirus outbreak. Australia has called for an inquiry into the origin of the coronavirus infection. US President Donald Trump has blamed China for the contagion and is seeking to punish it.⁷ At the same time, the WHO is facing mounting pressure to answer critics worldwide who say Chinese influence has hindered its response to the coronavirus pandemic.⁸ President Trump halted funding to the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.⁹ However, this is not the time to play the blame game; rather, concentrated efforts to minimize the damage and halt the spread of the pandemic should take priority.

FIGURE 1.4 Progression of Total Number of Deaths Due to COVID-19 Worldwide

Source: WHO.

Against this backdrop, COVID-19 Pandemic: The Deadly Coronavirus Outbreak is written to filter out the facts from the fiction and enable everybody to have a true picture of this unprecedented human crisis. The book is divided into nine chapters to cover all the important information on COVID-19. It starts with this introductory chapter, wherein a brief introduction to COVID-19 is covered. The second chapter covers the basic principles of an infectious disease and how an infection like COVID-19 turns into a pandemic. Basic information on epidemics, pandemics, immunity, pathogens, chains of infection and the transmission of infection are provided. Readers will develop an idea about case fatality rate, incubation periods and reproductive number (R₀), which will help them to understand the pandemic as they read the following chapters.

The third chapter provides a glimpse into the various deadly pandemics that have happened in the past, including the Spanish flu, SARS, MERS, swine flu, Ebola and Zika. How these pandemics started and affected humankind is discussed in brief. Its short revisit of the past enables readers to compare past pandemics with COVID-19. Readers will learn about the destructive and disruptive effects of pandemics.

The fourth chapter focuses on the origin and spread of the pandemic and the global response to the pandemic. The infection originated at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan, China,¹⁰ and then spread among the residents of Wuhan. Rapidly the infection spread, and casualties started, resulting in the massive mobilization of healthcare resources to control the outbreak. Gradually, it spread to various countries of the world, and later, the WHO declared it a pandemic. This chapter provides a timeline of evolution of this epidemic and how it changed from an epidemic to a pandemic in a short period. It focuses on how the epicentre of the disease shifted from China to highly developed countries in Europe and the United States. The evolution of the disease and the number of cases and deaths in various countries, like China, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Canada, are discussed.

The fifth chapter covers the spread of the pandemic in Russia, Brazil, Turkey, Iran, India and rest of the world. Russia, Brazil and Turkey rapidly turned out to be among the worst-affected countries of the world. The number of cases has increased lately to a great extent. Similarly, of late, the number of cases has also increased in India. The evolution of epidemic in these countries is discussed, along with the response of the government to the pandemic. Conditions in Africa are also included in this chapter.

The sixth chapter covers the signs and symptoms of COVID-19. How to identify a case of COVID-19 is discussed. How COVID-19 starts with fever and cough and rapidly evolves into pneumonia and respiratory failure and death in a short period is discussed. The reader will learn about the common as well as uncommon symptoms of the disease. Steps to be taken if one falls sick, infection prevention protocol, laboratory investigations for making a confirmed diagnosis and health tips are discussed in this chapter. Medical information in the chapter is provided in plain language, avoiding medical jargon.

The focus of the seventh chapter is on mental trauma, socioeconomic disruption and the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. The impact of the pandemic on various aspects like trade and commerce, disruptions and postponements of sports events, psychological effects on people, rumours, violations of government orders and disruptions to daily life are discussed. The economic crisis triggered by the pandemic is covered in this chapter. Efforts by various governments and financial institutions to support the economy are also discussed here.

The eighth chapter deals with containing the coronavirus pandemic. Coronavirus infection has no effective medicine or vaccine, and hence, the prevention of infection is the most important aspect in containing this devastating pandemic. St...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of figures
• Preface
• 1 Introduction
• 2 Pandemic: the basic principles
• 3 Pandemics: a trip down memory lane
• 4 Origin spread and global response to COVID-19
• 5 Emerging global hotspots of COVID-19
• 6 COVID-19: the signs of death
• 7 Impact of COVID-19: on people and the economy
• 8 Containing the contagion
• 9 COVID-19: global challenges
• Afterword
• Index