Introduction
COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, discovered in December 2019. The virus can spread between people, and it mostly happens through the nose and mouth via particles ranging from aerosols to droplets when a person sneezes, coughs, speaks, and breaths (World Health Organization, n.d.). These particles can travel fast, remain in the air, and accumulate – their contact with the mucosa can cause the illness. The incubation period for COVID-19 is generally between two and fourteen days; a person can be contagious for two or three weeks.
For many people, the illness is asymptomatic; for the majority, the symptoms are light to moderate, yet some people experience a severe course of the disease and require medical attention. The symptoms may include cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, diarrhea, fatigue, body aches, loss of taste and smell, runny nose, and others (Johns Hopkins Medicine, n.d.). The symptoms, severity of the disease, and duration of the illness vary greatly based on numerous factors, such as the immunity of a person, strain of the virus, and others. On average, new strains tend to be more contagious yet less lethal. The reason I chose this disease is its colossal impact on the whole of humanity, incomparable to any other outbreak in the last century.
History of the Disease Process
As mentioned before, the first case of COVID-19 caused by SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus was registered in December 2019 in Wuhan City of China as a case of pneumonia of unknown cause. However, it is only the most recent type of human coronaviruses, the first of which were identified in the mid-1960-s. Overall, there are seven coronaviruses that affect people – 229E, NL63, OC43, HKU1, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 are the most recent examples of coronaviruses that only affected animals before, but they evolved to infect people. In the last century, there were five major coronavirus outbreaks before SARS-CoV-2 (“Lessons of past coronavirus pandemics,” 2020). Those were Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) in the 1930s, Transmissible gastroenteritis (TGE) in 1946, Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) in 1971, SARS-CoV in 2003, and MERS-CoV in 2012.
The history of the most recent SARS-CoV-2 is relatively short yet grim. By January 2020 World Health Organization declared SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, and by March, there were already 100,000 cases of COVID-19, and the outbreak was characterized as a pandemic. In the same month, Europe became the pandemic’s epicenter, while the US declared a state of emergency, and the first human vaccine trials began – at an unprecedented speed for the global pharmacological industry. In April, the virus passed the threshold of one million cases and was still accelerating. The virus demonstrated its adaptability as new variants were identified by September, while the death toll reached one million people.
New variants identified at the end of 2020 were Alpha and Beta, originating from Great Britain and South Africa, respectively. Alpha was the globally dominant variant before the spread of Delta, and Beta was known for its increased lethality compared to the original virus (Katella, 2022). Despite the mass administration of vaccines, in 2021, Delta successfully spread around the world as it was 80% to 90% percent more transmissible than Alpha and caused a more severe course of the disease for unvaccinated. Finally, Omicron, first identified at the end of 2021, surpassed the Delta variant by 2022 as the most transmissible yet less severe one.
Current Treatment
Currently, the primary strategy of fighting COVID-19 is prevention due to vaccination. As mentioned before, the global pharmacological industry has adapted rapidly and started mass production of vaccines in less than a year since the declaration of the pandemic. These days around 65% of the world has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine (Our World in Data, 2022a). Regarding the available treatment options, there are two main strategies. The first strategy implies resting at home while taking medications to reduce fever and antiviral pills if necessary, as they can decrease the chance of a severe course of the disease (Auwaerter & Casadevall, 2022). This strategy is viable for people with mild to moderate symptoms.
Severe cases of COVID-19 require a different strategy as they may cause hospitalization. In that case, treatment includes corticosteroids, antivirals, assisted ventilation, supplemental oxygen, and other supportive measures. There have been substantial improvements regarding particular medications that help against COVID-19. These include antiviral drugs such as Paxlovid and molnupiravir, remdesivir, monoclonal antibodies, immunomodulators, dexamethasone, and convalescent plasma (Auwaerter & Casadevall, 2022). Many more potential medications of various forms and compositions are currently being developed and tested around the world.
Socioeconomic Impact of the Disease
The socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been unprecedented in human history. According to IMF estimates, the median global GDP shrunk by 3.9% from 2019 to 2020 in the worst global crisis since the Great Depression (Oum et al., 2022). The US economy, in particular, “contracted at a record average annualized rate of 19.2% from its peak in the fourth quarter of 2019 through the second quarter of 2020” (Mutikani, 2021). Overall, the cumulative confirmed COVID-19 cases in the US exceed eighty million, while the number of deaths is just below one million (Our World in Data, 2022b). This is the highest number of deaths among developed countries, resulting from the country’s weak initial response and general unpreparedness. At the same time, the US demonstrated an excellent economic recovery rate that exceeds most other developed countries’ rates.
Political Impact of the Disease
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic was no less pronounced than on other spheres of life. One of the most notable political reactions to the pandemic was the rally effect that increased government trust, support of incumbents, and satisfaction with democratic institutions (Blais et al., 2020). This was apparent for most of the world’s democratic nations. However, as could be observed in the US, the effect did not last for long and obvious mistakes in handling the pandemic also significantly reduced the chances of politicians to be reelected. Overall, 2020 was a challenging year for democracy as human rights and freedoms were limited in many countries, causing wide backlashes from populations (Freedom House, 2020). This took place both in developed and developing nations across the globe.
Summary
COVID-19 is a communicable respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus, which spreads between people via exhaled particles. The disease manifests itself differently based on a person’s immunity, age, and the variant of the virus. New variants tend to be more contagious and less lethal. The current pandemic is the sixth major coronavirus outbreak in the last hundred years. During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the virus has evolved numerous times creating such variants as Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. At the moment, there are two major strategies of treatment and many antiviral drugs that are helpful against COVID-19. Moreover, more than half of the world’s population has already received at least one vaccine shot, which significantly reduces the mortality rates of the disease. COVID-19 has been a major disruptor of the world economy and one of the deadliest pandemics. The pandemic also greatly affected societies worldwide, affecting the levels of trust in institutions and governments.
References
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Katella, K. (2022). Omicron, Delta, Alpha, and more: What to know about the coronavirus variants. YaleMedicine.
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Mutikani, L. (2021). U.S. economy contracted 19.2% during COVID-19 pandemic recession. Reuters.
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