"A Noval Coronavirus Outbreak: A Teaching Case-Study" Micole Hughes SNHU Final Project IHP 330: Epidemiology Ms. LeeQuan Ray December 9, 2023
Health Issue The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVis) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that emerged in China in late 2019 and has since spread worldwide, causing a global pandemic. The common symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, loss of smell and taste, and possible complications, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), multi-organ failure, septic shock, and blood clots. The Mode of Transmission The spread of COVID-19, according to the CDC, is when an infected person breathes droplets and microscopic particles that contain the virus. These droplets and particles can be breathed in by other people or land on their eyes, noses, or mouths. In some cases, they contaminate surfaces they touch. Incidence and prevalence The global incidence rate of COVID-19 from January 2020 to February 2020 is calculated as the number of confirmed cases/total population x 100,000. Based on the information from Table 1 in the article "A Novel Coronavirus Outbreak: A Teaching Case- Study.", the incidence for the number of outbreaks in the USA from January to February 1 of 2020 would be 0.5 per 100,000 (39/7,821,000,000x100,000) and the prevalence would be 14.16 per 100,000 (1,108/7,821,000,000 x 100,000). Mortality rate The mortality rate is calculated as the number of deaths during a given period/population from which deaths occurred x 100,000. Based on Table 2, there were a total of 1,108 deaths from
the time of January 21, 2020, to February 1, 2020. From that information, the mortality rate from COVID-19 would be .63; 49,418/7,821,000,000 x 100,000. The Odds ratio The case-control study was conducted on COVID-19 exposure. The data shows that an individual is eight times more likely to become infected with COVID-19. Population: The novel coronavirus outbreak, COVID-19, was detected in December 2019 in Wuhan, China. Various factors, such as air pollution, smoking, chronic diseases, and access to health care, influence the population's health status. The initial impact of COVID-19 on individuals who contracted the illness and died in the U. S are the elderly, the unvaccinated, individuals with chronic health conditions, those with weakened immune systems, and marginalized populations. According to some studies conducted, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, and obesity among adults is known to increase the risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 infection. Disparities: Individuals from certain racial and ethnic minority groups were disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The CDC assesses monthly trends in hospitalized patients with COVID- 19 among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. According to the CDC, the portion of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was highest among Hispanic or Latino patients in May- July 2020, with the second highest among African-American patients. Determinants related to the disparities: Several studies have found that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to contract COVID-19 and experience severe symptoms and possible death from the disease. African American veterans had a