Covid 19: Coronavirus Disease

The SARS-CoV-2 virus causes Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). COVID 19 was first discovered in Wuhan, China, in November 2019. It has since evolved into a pandemic, which caused lockdowns and quarantine restrictions all over the world.

Medical research teams are working double-time to find promising treatments, therapies, and vaccines to cure and eradicate the disease.

COVID-19 Symptoms

Most patients infected with COVID 19 have mild to moderate symptoms and recover without any additional therapy. On the other hand, some become critically unwell and require medical assistance, and the unavailability of medical treatment in such cases results in death.

Age appears to play a significant role in who gets ill the most. The Centers for Sickness Control and Prevention (CDC) discovered that elderly persons had the most incredible fatality rate regarding coronavirus disease. It's worth noting, though, that while older people are more prone to succumb to COVID-19, young people are not immune.

The COVID-19 Onslaught in India

By June 10, 2021, more than 29 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in India, representing the second-highest total of any country after the USA. Although India has reported 354,000 COVID-19 deaths, this substantial burden nonetheless represents a lower overall fraction of fatal cases than other settings have shown.

Reasons for the Wide Spread of COVID-19

The virus spreads from an infected person's mouth or nose in small liquid particles when they cough, sneeze, speak or breathe. These particles can range from small aerosols to large respiratory droplets.

You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are near someone who has COVID-19 or by touching a contaminated surface and then your eyes, nose, or mouth. In addition, the virus spreads more easily indoors and in crowded settings.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Depending on the creation of vaccines, they operate in various ways. Indian regulatory bodies authorized two vaccines for immediate use to arrest the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

Covaxin (Bharat Biotech) and Covishield (Serum Institute of India) are administered in two doses, with a gap of 3-4 weeks for Covaxin and 84 days for Covishield.

How Does the Vaccine Work?

Inactivated vaccines employ a weakened variant of the whole virus that does not cause illness but still stimulates the immune system. One example is the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covishield vaccine.

Protein-based vaccinations imitate natural viral proteins that cause the COVID-19 disease by using chemically manufactured portions of proteins (called peptides). Covaxin, by Bharat Biotech, is an example of this.

The Vaccination Drive in India

Due to the nature of their jobs, healthcare personnel and frontline employees were first vaccinated in India, followed by senior citizens and all others according to the age bracket. Vaccination is now available to everyone in India, including to children older than 15 years (Covaxin).

Rare adverse effects of the vaccinations, such as blood clots, have been reported. However, both vaccinations are safe and have undergone extensive testing in clinical studies.

The epidemic is still raging in other countries, with India being the only country in the world to have achieved a prolonged endemic stage.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Europe might terminate the COVID-19 emergency phase in 2022, owing to the highly transmissible Omicron form, which has proven to be less severe than the previously dominant COVID-19 variation, Delta.

FAQs on COVID 19

Q.1 Who issued the official name of COVID-19?

WHO issued the official names Covid 19 and SARS-CoV-2 for the disease in Wuhan, China.

Q.2 Will BA.2 cause another surge?

Experts believe that BA.2 will not cause a second significant wave of illnesses, hospitalizations, or fatalities following Omicron's first devastation. It does have the potential to prolong the Omicron surge, though.

Q.3 Why do some people get a fever after taking the COVID 19 Vaccine?

An antigen contained in the vaccination causes this immunological reaction. The vaccine boosts the body's blood flow to increase the circulation of the body's defence immunological cells. This can result in a rise in body temperature, manifesting as a fever.