Essay: Understanding the Background of COVID-19 Outbreak and Control Measures

Background of study
The SARS-COV-2 virus (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which has become a global public health concern, is the infectious disease known as coronavirus disease.1 The WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic on March11, 2020.2 From early October to mid-November 2019, Wuhan, China, saw the emergence of the first case of the COVID 19 disease.3
Currently (8th April2022), there are 494 587 638 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with 6170 283 fatalities (reported to WHO).4
People of all age groups are infected by covid-19 virus, older people and people with pre-existing medical conditions such as Asthma, diabetes and heart disease are more vulnerable to become severely ill with the virus.5 The most common symptoms in covid-19 patients include fever cough, fatigue, dyspnea and sputum.6
The introduction of ppe’s (including masks, gloves, gowns, and eye shields) was done in order to prevent the covid-19 infection among healthcare workers, who were more vulnerable to the covid-19 infection at the time of the disease outbreak and for which there were no treatments (medications or vaccines) available.7
PPE attempts to stop the spread of covid-19 infections among humans after being thought of as a preventive measures.There were lower incidence of covid -19 infection and mortality as social distance rose. 8
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Lockdowns have been implemented in numerous nations and territories worldwide to stop the spread. All people in India who are 45 to 59 years old and 18 to 44 years old, respectively, are now eligible to receive vaccinations as of 1 April 2021 and 1 May 2021. Through the COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (CO-WIN) site, which was created with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme, the vaccine registration process is completed online (UNDP). Additionally, it is set up to track beneficiaries of enlistment, send SMS reminders, and provide users with immunisation certificates. 13read of disease due to the daily rise in cases. Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, announced a 21-day national lockdown (25th March 2020 to 14th April 2020). In India in 2021, there were numerous lockdown phases after the initial one. These lockdowns partially controlled the COVID-19 epidemic.9 However, the Lockdowns were typically ineffective at stopping the disease’s spread and the deaths it caused due to COVID-19.10
In order to stop the disease’s spread, the researchers performed an optimal control study. 11The WHO STAG-IH, or Strategic and Technical Advisory Group for Infectious Hazards, frequently analyses and updates its risk assessment.12 In order to contain the pandemic, vaccines were adopted because PPEs, social segregation, and lockdowns were insufficient for fully controlling the COVID-19 outbreak. The two vaccines Covishield or Covaxin that have been licensed for restricted emergency use were targeted for immunization in the first phase, which included medical students. Adenovirus-vectored Covishield (adenovirus-cov-19 vaccine-AZD1222) is produced by Serum Institute of India under license from Astra Zeneca, whereas Covaxin (BBV152), an inactivated SARS-cov-2 vaccine, is produced in India by Bharat Biotech in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research. COVID-19 immunization has been expanded to include people over 60 and those with co-morbid conditions between the ages of 45 and 59 as of 1 March 2021.
All people in India who are 45 to 59 years old and 18 to 44 years old, respectively, are now eligible to receive vaccinations as of 1 April 2021 and 1 May 2021. Through the COVID-19 Vaccine Intelligence Network (CO-WIN) site, which was created with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme, the vaccine registration process is completed online (UNDP). Additionally, it is set up to track beneficiaries of enlistment, send SMS reminders, and provide users with immunisation certificates. 13
People were informed about the immunisation once the covid-19 vaccine was discovered by a variety of media, including multimedia, TV and radio broadcasts, commercials, and posters. Healthcare professionals step up to the plate and raise awareness of the COVID 19 vaccine. 14 People were well-informed about the COVID 19 vaccine thanks to several awareness campaigns, but they weren’t as accepting of it. 15
Judith A, Nicholas K.M.D ,Fernando P. Polack, M.D., et al. carried out an international placebo-controlled, observer-blinded, pivotal effectiveness trial. Randomization had 43584 people in total. The findings showed that BNT162b2 (comirnaty) two dose regimen verified 95% protection against covid-19 in individuals 16 years of age and older. 16
Raches Ella, Siddarth Reddy, William Blackwelder, Varsha Potdar, Pragya Yadav, Vamshi Sarangi, et al. undertook a different study to assess the effectiveness, safety, and immunological lot uniformity of BBV152. 25 Indian hospitals participated in a multicenter phase 3 clinical trial that was randomised, double-blinded, and controlled for placebo, enrolling 25798 patients to receive the BBV152 (covaxin) vaccine. The outcome demonstrated that the vaccination was very effective against adults with symptomatic COVID-19 disease that had been proven in a laboratory. 17
However, despite having solid information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, some were reluctant or outright refused to receive the vaccines (having concern related to the efficacy).18
It is undeniable that the main obstacle to optimal immunisation coverage is people’s reluctance to take the vaccine.