The COVID-19 Pandemic: An Epidemiological, Public Health, and Clinical Brief

The COVID-19 Pandemic: An Epidemiological, Public Health, and Clinical Brief

By Dr. John W. Ward, CGHE and Dr. Carlos del Rio, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University

In this article, Drs. Ward and del Rio outline routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, clinical features of COVID-19 and the interventions necessary to stop nosocomial and community transmission, information resources to track the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and evolving recommendations for COVID-19 prevention, testing and treatment. In less than 120 days, COVID-19 has grown from 27 cases in Wuhan, China to a pandemic of over three million SARS-CoV-2 infections and more than 200,000 COVID-19 related deaths in 179 countries. “The rapid spread of COVID-19 reveals how connected we are internationally” said Dr. Rio. “The modes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and the co-factors contributing to severe COVID-19  demand the attention of everyone particularly those caring for patients with viral hepatitis and other chronic liver disease", replied Dr. Ward. Drs. Ward and del Rio outline the interventions necessary to stop community transmission, and prospects for effective COVID-19 therapies and vaccines.  

 

Page last updated: 24 August 2023