Symptoms, Severity,

& Safety
Carissa Trapp
 Covid-19 – What is it?
v Novel coronavirus
v SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus 2)

v Cause of an infectious disease.

v Pathogenic to humans.

v Respiratory illness
v Ranging from a mild to a serious symptoms.
v Disproportionately affects different populations.

v Highly contagious disease.

v If contracted, could take 2-14 days for symptoms to appear.
v Some are asymptomatic, but still contagious.
 Symptoms
Mild Severe
v Low-grade fever v Hyperpyrexia/persistent fever

v Dry cough v Dyspnea (difficulty breathing)

v Exhaustion v Dysphasia (loss of speech)

v Pharyngitis (sore throat) v Muscle function loss

v Myalgia/achiness v Pressure in chest

v Anosmia and ageusia v Confusion

v Skin rash, discoloration v Inability to stay awake

 Complications
due to severe symptoms
v Pulmonary embolism v Acute respiratory failure

v Coagulopathy
v Acute liver injury
v Thrombosis
v Cardiac distress
v Pneumonia
v Secondary infections
v COPD
v Kidney failure
v Sepsis
v Blood clots
v Rhabdomyolysis (rare)

v Systemic inflammation v Meningitis/encephalitis

What leads to a more severe case?
v Genetic predisposition
v Expression of certain genes in lung cells found prominently
among patients who were ventilated.
v Blood type
v Type A – higher risk
v Type O – protective effect

v Pre-existing conditions
v e.g. type 2 diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease,
obesity
v These diseases have are related to inflammatory diseases,
potentially triggering an inflammatory response to SARS-
CoV-2.
What leads to a more severe case?
(continued)
v Type-1 interferon response
v Increases inflammation with an accumulation of
immune cells (e.g. macrophages, cytokines
v Impaired virus-specific T cell response
v Causes vascular leakage
Who is most at risk for complications?
v Geriatric patients

v Pre-existing conditions
v Obesity
v Diabetes
v Cardiovascular disease
v Respiratory illnesses (e.g. asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, etc.)

v Immunocompromised
v Cancer
v Auto-immune diseases
 How do I stay safe?
v Masks!

v Social Distancing
v Avoid superspreading events (SSE)
v Stay 6-feet away
v When walking behind someone allow for additional space
(36 feet)

v Consider ventilation
v Inclosed spaces
v Outdoor spaces

v Self-isolate/quarantine
 Transmission Dynamics
Superspreader Events (SSE)
v Pathogen
v Virulence – Possibility of two subspecies leading to differing
severity in symptoms.
v Environmental persistence – COVID-19 varies in time in which
it survives outside of host.

v Host
v Duration of the infection
v Incubation period 2-14 days
v Contagious 2 days after transmission (even if asymptomatic)
v Contagious up to 10 days after first signs and symptoms and 24
hours of no fever.
v Site of infection – respiratory tract
 Transmission Dynamics
Superspreader Events (SSE) (continued)
v Environmental factors
v Population density – Higher transmission rates in crowded cities than
rural areas.
v Infection prevention and control measures
v Masks – most effective if they can control both large droplets and
aerosolized droplets
v Social distancing – general rule: 6 feet apart
v Washing hands, hand sanitizer usage

v Behavioral drivers
v Coughing practices – please cover your mouth with your elbow
v Social customs (e.g. greeting by kissing cheeks, fist bump, hand shakes)
v Adherence to public health guidelines (e.g. quarantine when exposed)
 References
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 References
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events – implications for control of severe acute respiratory syndrome
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