Corona virus (COVID-19)
Coronavirus (COVID-19) new cases have been reported daily, increasing day by day (Everett et al., 2020). However, it is natural to compare the pandemic with other past outbreaks. Some world’s pandemic outbreaks include Influenza, flu pandemic, respiratory syndrome (SARS), and many other outbreaks. For instance, Influenza in 1918 affected almost a third of the world’s population, followed by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Still, later on, there was a vaccine for both pandemics. The outbreak of each epidemic hinge on other conditions: when we acquire it, how transmittable and incurable it is, and how rapidly a vaccine or therapy is discovered. Recent researches have confirmed others that govern how distressing and deadly a pandemic is death individuals’ death rate. There are different comparisons tied to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Ebola outbreak is one of the past pandemics in the year 201, which was common in 10 countries in North Africa with Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea being mostly affected (Everett et al., 2020). There were 28,000 people affected amid the years 2013 and 2016 with the death toll above 11,300 people. People who endured the onset outbreak might fall sick for a while later, as the virus can be inactive for protracted periods. However, an effective vaccine was discovered in 2016. Besides, there are several comparisons between COVID-19 and the Ebola outbreaks. First, coronavirus is more widespread compared to the Ebola outbreak, with almost three-quarters of the countries in the world have reported a case in May 2019 and at least anew case being published every day. However, coronavirus has less reported deaths compared to Ebola despite its enormous spread. Coronavirus has no confirmed post-recovery complications compared to Ebola. Up to date, COVID-19 does not have approved an effective vaccine as opposed to the Ebola pandemic.
Another infectious outbreak pandemic is the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which is classified as the pandemic. This disease has claimed the lives of more than 30 million people since its outbreak, with approximately 38 million people living with it. Although the virus causes both HIV and COVID-19, there are a couple of differences. Unlike COVID-19, HIV is not transmitted via sneezing and coughing. Besides, COVID-19 spreads very fast as compared to HIV; that is, it can cover with a couple of seconds. Another significant difference is that there are presently no medications that can cure or avert COVID-19. Even though there is no HIV vaccine, antiretroviral medications have proved to be useful for persons infected with HIV who can now survive the pandemic and live longer with healthy lives.
Besides, Influenza is another deadliest flu ever hit the world in 1918, which affected nearly one-third of the world’s population. Comparatively, both Influenza and COVID-19 are respiratory diseases, which present themselves in divergent ways. Both disease’s causative viruses are related to mild and severe infections or even death due to their asymptomatic cases. COVID-19 and Influenza are both spread by contact droplets and fomites, which can be prevented by regular handwash, sanitization as well as keeping excellent standards of hygiene. Conversely, the two diseases vary in several ways. To begin, the rate of spread of Influenza is higher as compared to COVID-19. This rate is as a result of a shorter incubation period for Influenza compared to that of COVID-19. Another glaring variance amid Influenza and COVID-19 diseases is no evidenced therapeutics or injections for COVID-19. Besides, there are licensed vaccines and antivirals available for Influenza. Lastly, influenza transmission is mostly associated with children who are infected by adults, which is not the case for COVID-19.
Swine flu is yet another pandemic, which claimed the lives of 2% of the entire world’s population in 1918, later it was again declared a pandemic in 2009. Comparatively, COVID-19 spreads less than the swine flu. The death toll for COVID-19 so far is fewer as compared to that od swine flu. Also, the COVID-19 incubation period is approximately two weeks, but the swine flu is considered to be longer. Lastly, COVID-19 is less infectious to a young age because of their strong immunity as compared to swine flu.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome was another infectious disease that claimed more people’s lives than COVID-19. Scientists have said that SARS caused a higher death rate than COVID-19, although with less impact on socio-economic fatalities. Different from the COVID-19, there is a vaccine for SARS, which was discovered at nearly the end of the pandemic. As well, SARS was quick to monitor and identify for people who contracted it because the symptoms were severe and easy to detect, different from COVID-19, which difficult to distinguish it asymptomatic.
Even though a coronavirus—a family of viruses that root infections are fluctuating from the common cold to SARS—had not formerly prompted a pandemic, this should not the first time the world has witnessed the worldwide spread of a severe infection. Reviewing the past outbreaks can help scientists better approximate the route for COVID-19 and classify the suitable procedures for curb transmission. There are divergent teachings, however, learned from the previous outbreaks. To start with, the community should protect the most vulnerable. In all the pandemic, we must defend the highly susceptible. Presently, young people are displaying in harmony with the older associates of the community, who are vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, by assisting to eradicate the spread. Also, the past outbreaks people have learned to be united for science. Both the recent outbreak and the COVID-19 pandemic train the community at large to have an obligation to listen to specialists, to stand behind the science facts without involving politics with people’s health. Besides, the past outbreaks, it is crucial to cancel all public get-togethers, nearby worshipping places, institutions, pubs, and cafes, detaching the sick and isolating those in the line of contact.
References
Everett, J. A., Colombatto, C., Chituc, V., Brady, W. J., & Crockett, M. (2020). The effectiveness of moral messages on public health behavioral intentions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Peeri, N. C., Shrestha, N., Rahman, M. S., Zaki, R., Tan, Z., Bibi, S., … & Haque, U. (2020). The SARS, MERS, and novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemics, the newest and biggest global health threats: what lessons have we learned?. International journal of epidemiology.
Kliger, A. S., Cozzolino, M., Jha, V., Harbert, G., & Ikizler, T. A. (2020). Managing the COVID-19 pandemic: international comparisons in dialysis patients. Kidney International.