COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus related to SARS-CoV and" named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)," which is classified as a "betacoronavirus belonging to the subgenus Sarbecovirus" (Ciotti et al., 2020, para.1). The main symptoms are fever, sore throat and cough, fatigue, headache, loss of taste or smell, difficulty breathing, etc. The SARS-CoV2 virus is contagious through contact transmission, airborne infection, and through inhaling aerosols, microscopic particles of their bodily fluids containing the virus. In addition, the time lag from infection to the onset of symptoms (Incubation period) is up to 14 days and is more prolonged than in other infectious diseases, which is why patients are unaware that they are infected and spread the infection to people around them (Providence, 2022). Therefore, COVID-19 is a disease that requires strict management with early diagnosis and isolation of infected persons.
There are four critical characteristics of surveillance; Timeliness, Representation, Sensitivity, and Specificity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Timeliness means implementing effective control measures (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). For well-implemented disease surveillance, all of health information systems, epidemiological research systems, and surveillance systems must function properly. According to Clare et al., "Delays in timeliness are most likely to occur in the first stage of the reporting process, before laboratory input to the surveillance platform" ( Clare et al., 2021, para.1). Therefore, it is essential to establish and properly operate and manage health information systems to collect information and data on all underlying diseases. There should be no delays or limitations in collecting, analyzing, and distributing epidemic data.
My plan: I will require that if a patient is confirmed to be COVID-19 positive as a result of a PCR test performed at a medical institution, the doctor or hospital infectious disease control manager must report to the nearest public health center within 6 hours by phone or online. However, as the number of infected people increases, medical institutions cannot handle all cases. So, I will set up private PCR testing facilities in the community to receive PCR testing for free. I will also oblige those private laboratories to report positive results to the nearest public health center within 6 hours by phone or online. I will build a system that allows patients to conduct individual antigen tests and notify health authorities of their infection online or via an app if they test positive. In that case, the local public health center or medical institution will respond within 24 hours so that specific instructions can be given to the patient.
Representation means "to provide an accurate picture of the temporal trend of the disease" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012, para.2). COVID-19 has a relatively long incubation period (up to 14 days), therefore, patients are unaware that they are infected and spread the infection to people around them (Providence, 2022). That is why we must repeatedly emphasize that people can be infected even with no symptoms. Additionally, sensitivity refers to "allow identification of individual persons with the disease to facilitate treatment; quarantine, or other appropriate control measures," and specificity refers to "exclude persons not having disease" (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012, para.2).
My plan: If an individual has an infected family member or colleague, even if there are no symptoms, I ask they take a PCR test or an antigen test for several days in a row (It is also related to representation.). Test kits for that are provided free of charge. Also, if an individual is confirmed to be infected with COVID-19, arrange for all infected persons to be recuperated in a community-provided hotel or hospital. When receiving treatment at home, contact with uninfected family members is unavoidable, which creates guilt, anxiety, and frustration in patients and their families, so I will basically guide them to the hotel for treatment even if the patient has no symptoms. Accommodation, meals, and medical examinations during hotel stays are all covered by public funds.
In conclusion, it is essential to detect cases rapidly and contain the spread to establish effective and efficient Covid-19 surveillance. It requires systems for the timely processing of specimens and data for epidemiological use.
Thank you, professor. (692 words)
References
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Principles of epidemiology in public health practice: An introduction to applied epidemiology and biostatistics (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/csels/dsepd/ss1978/lesson5/index.html
Ciotti, M., Ciccozzi, M., Terrinoni, A., Jiang, W. C., Wang, C. B., & Bernardini, S. (2020). The COVID-19 pandemic. Critical reviews in clinical laboratory sciences, 57(6), 365-388. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10408363.2020.1783198
Clare, T., Twohig, K. A., O'Connell, A. M., & Dabrera, G. (2021). Timeliness and completeness of laboratory-based surveillance of COVID-19 cases in England. Public health, 194, 163–166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2021.03.012
Providence. (2022). Covid-19 incubation timeline: When am I contagious? Your Hub For Coronavirus Resources. Retrieved from https://coronavirus.providence.org/blog/uf/669939767?streamId=7436536
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