SUBMITTED BY HINA UMAR
SUBMITTED TO
ASSIGMENT READING AND WRITING SKILL
ID NO 14638
DEPARTMENT BS ENGLISH
SEMESTER 2ND
QUESTION NO:1 Write an article on any of the current major global issue?
ANS: CORONA VIRUS
A novel strain of coronavirus — SARS-CoV-2 — was first detected in
December 2019 in Wuhan, a city in China’s Hubei province with a population of 11
million, after an outbreak of pneumonia without an obvious cause. The virus has now
spread to over 200 countries and territories across the globe, and was characterised as a
pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020
As of 9:00 on 3 June 2020, there were 6,287,771 laboratory-confirmed cases of
coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection globally, with 379,941 reported deaths.
The number of cases and deaths outside of China overtook those within the country on 16
March 2020
As of 9:00 on 3 June 2020, there have been 279,856 confirmed cases of the virus in the
UK and, as of 17:00 on 1 June 2020, 39,728 of these have died (in all settings).
This article gives a brief overview of the new virus and what to look out for, and will be
updated daily. It provides answers to the following questions:
What are coronaviruses?
Where has the new coronavirus come from?
How contagious is COVID-19?
How is COVID-19 diagnosed?
What is happening with testing for COVID-19?
Where can I find information on managing COVID-19 patients?
What are coronaviruses?
SARS-CoV-2 belongs to a family of single-stranded RNA viruses known as
coronaviridae, a common type of virus which affects mammals, birds and reptiles.
In humans, it commonly causes mild infections, similar to the common cold, and
accounts for 10–30% of upper respiratory tract infections in adults[4]. More serious
infections are rare, although coronaviruses can cause enteric and neurological disease [5].
The incubation period of a coronavirus varies but is generally up to two weeks [6].
Previous coronavirus outbreaks include Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), first
reported in Saudi Arabia in September 2012, and severe acute respiratory syndrome
(SARS), identified in southern China in 2003[7],[8]. MERS infected around 2,500 people
and led to more than 850 deaths while SARS infected more than 8,000 people and
resulted in nearly 800 deaths[9],[10]. The case fatality rates for these conditions were 35%
and 10%, respectively.
SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in
humans. Although the incubation period of this strain is currently unknown, the United
States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that symptoms may appear in
as few as 2 days or as long as 14 days after exposure[6]. Chinese researchers have
indicated that SARS-CoV-2 may be infectious during its incubation period[11].
The number of cases and deaths outside of China overtook those within it on 16
March 2020
Where has the new coronavirus come from?
It is currently unclear where the virus has come from. Originally, the virus was
understood to have originated in a food market in Wuhan and subsequently spread from
animal to human. Some research has claimed that the cross-species transmission may be
between snake and human; however, this claim has been contested[12],[13].
Mammals such as camels and bats have been implicated in previous coronavirus
outbreaks, but it is not yet clear the exact animal origin, if any, of SARS-CoV-2 [14].
How contagious is COVID-19?
Increasing numbers of confirmed diagnoses, including in healthcare professionals, has
indicated that person-to-person spread of SARS-CoV-2 is occurring[15]. The preliminary
reproduction number (i.e. the average number of cases a single case generates over the
course of its infectious period) is currently estimated to be between 1.4 to 2.5, meaning
that each infected individual could infect between 1.4 and 2.5 people[16].
Similarly to other common respiratory tract infections, MERS and SARS are spread by
respiratory droplets produced by an infected person when they sneeze or cough[17].
Measures to guard against the infection work under the current assumption that SARS-
CoV-2 is spread in the same manner.
How is COVID-19 diagnosed?
As this coronavirus affects the respiratory tract, common presenting symptoms include
fever and dry cough, with some patients presenting with respiratory symptoms (e.g. sore
throat, nasal congestion, malaise, headache and myalgia) or even struggling for breath.
In severe cases, the coronavirus can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome,
kidney failure and death[18].
The case definition for COVID-19 is based on symptoms regardless of travel history or
contact with confirmed cases. Diagnosis is suspected in patients requiring admission to
hospital with signs and symptoms of pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome or
influenza, and in those with a new, continuous cough or fever who are well enough to
stay in the community (see Box 1). A new symptom, a loss or changed sense of normal
smell or taste (anosmia), was added on 18 May 2020. A diagnostic test has been
developed, and countries are quarantining suspected cases
What is happening with testing for COVID-19?
As of 3 June 2020, 4,786,219 tests for COVID-19 had been carried out in the UK. On 2
April 2020, health secretary Matt Hancock outlined plans to dramatically increase testing
across the UK to 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month, a target that was initially
met. The new target is 200,000 tests a day by the end of May 2020, which was exceeded
on 30 May 2020.
Tests can now be accessed by anyone with symptoms in England and Scotland, and
anyone over the age of five years with symptoms in Wales and Northern Ireland. Tests
can be booked via [Link]/coronavirus.
An NHS test and trace service was launched across England on 28 May 2020, with
similar services starting in Scotland and Wales around the same time. Anyone who tests
positive for the virus is contacted to share information about their recent interactions.
People identified as being in close contact with someone who tests positive will have to
self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether they have symptoms.
Testing is also now available to care home staff and residents in England, and NHS
workers where there is a clinical need, whether or not they have symptoms.
What should I do if a patient thinks they have
COVID-19?
Patients have been advised not to go to their community pharmacy if they are concerned
that they have COVID-19. Those with a new, continuous cough or a high temperature or
anosmia (a loss or changed sense of normal smell or taste) who live alone should self-
isolate for seven days from the onset of symptoms. Households should all self-isolate for
14 days if one member shows symptoms[22]. There is no need for people with minor
symptoms to telephone NHS 111 or to be tested for COVID-19.
However, given the outbreak has coincided with the cold and flu season, it is likely that
patients may present in the pharmacy with queries about the virus, or with concerns about
their cold or flu symptoms.
Community pharmacies were told by NHS England and NHS Improvement on 27
February 2020 that, in the unlikely event that a suspected case does present, they must
prepare a “designated isolation space”
REFERENCE:
1: [Link]
know-about-the-coronavirus-outbreak/[Link]?firstPass=false
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