INTRODUCTION TO COVID-19

Module 1: Emerging respiratory viruses

 Learning objective

By the end of this module,

participants will be able
to describe:
▪ How viruses emerge
▪ What coronaviruses are
▪ Who is most at risk from
coronaviruses
▪ How to protect yourself

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 Timeline of emerging viruses

▪ Viruses continue to emerge

and pose challenges to
public health
▪ Some examples of emerging
respiratory viruses include:
• 2002: Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus
(SARS-CoV)
• 2009: H1N1 influenza
• 2012: Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-CoV)
• 2019: SARS-CoV-2 (Coronavirus
disease; COVID-19)
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 How do new viruses emerge?

▪ Human health, animal health and the state of

ecosystems are inextricably linked
▪ 70–80% of emerging and re-emerging infectious
diseases are known to be of zoonotic origin,*
meaning they can be transmitted between Avian influenza
animals and humans
▪ Population growth, climate change, increasing
urbanization, international travel, and migration
all increase the risk for emergence
and spread of respiratory pathogens MERS-CoV

*Jones et al (2008) Nature

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 What is a coronavirus?

▪ Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses

that are known to cause illness ranging
from the common cold to more severe
diseases such as Middle East Respiratory
Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
▪ The novel, or new, coronavirus has been
named Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
▪ The disease caused by SARS-CoV-2
infection is called Coronavirus disease
(COVID-19)
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 Where do coronaviruses come
from?
▪ Coronaviruses also cause disease in a wide
variety of animal species
▪ People were infected with SARS-CoV from
contact with civet cats in China in 2002-2003
and with MERS-CoV from contact with
dromedary camels starting in Saudi Arabia in
2012
▪ Several known other coronaviruses are
circulating in animals that have not yet
infected humans
▪ A spillover event is when a virus that is
circulating in an animal species is found to
have been transmitted to human(s)
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COVID-19: current epidemiological situation
1 Jan: WHO activates Incident Management Team
5 Jan: WHO issues first EIS/DON

10-11 Jan: WHO issues first package of technical guidance

30 Jan: WHO declares public health emergency of

international concern

4 Feb: SPRP issued

11 Mar: WHO describes

COVID-19 as a Pandemic

>35 million confirmed cases globally

>1 040 000 deaths reported
Promote health, keep the world safe, serve the vulnerable 8
As of 7 October 2020
 What is COVID-19?
▪ COVID-19 is the disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2

▪ The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are: fever, dry cough, and shortness of breath.

▪ Other symptoms that are less common and may affect some patients include: aches and pains,
nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhea, loss of taste or smell or
discoloration of fingers or toes.

▪ These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.

▪ Some people become infected but only have very mild symptoms. Of those with symptoms, most
people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing hospital treatment. Around 1 out
of every 5 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.

▪ Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart and
lung problems, diabetes, or cancer, are at higher risk of developing serious illness.

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 How does this virus spread?
▪ Transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is a combination of
• How the virus transmits
• When the virus transmits during one’s infection
• Where (the setting) in which transmission occurs, which is a function of intensity, duration and
exposure
▪ How:
• Most transmission is from symptomatic persons via droplets, and through contact with fomites in
the immediate environment around the infected person; aerosol transmission can occur in specific
settings (e.g., medical settings where aerosol generating procedures are conducted and non-medical
indoor settings where there is poor ventilation)
▪ When
• Pre-symptomatic transmission can occur from people who are infected and shedding the virus but
have not yet developed symptoms.
• Asymptomatic transmission can also occur. This refers to transmission through people who are
infected and shedding the virus, but have not and do no ever develop symptoms.
• Where (the setting) in which transmission occurs, which is a function of intensity, duration and
exposure
▪ Where:
• Primarily among close contacts; Transmission can be amplified in closed, crowded, indoor settings
WHO: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2: https://www.who.int/news-room/commentaries/detail/transmission-of-sars-cov-2-implications-for-infection-prevention-precautions

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 People at risk for COVID-19

▪ Family members or ▪ Enclosed, indoor, crowded settings

health care workers Check out this video on three factors help
who are caring for a you make safer choices during COVID-19:
person with COVID-19 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3pc9S2
JwYo&feature=youtu.be

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 How can I protect myself from
infection?
▪ Do it all!
• Clean your hands regularly with soap and water or an
alcohol-based hand rub product
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue, a sleeve, or flexed
elbow when coughing or sneezing
• Keep at least 1 meter from other people when outside the
home
• Avoid the 3C’s: crowded spaces, close-contact settings, and
confined and enclosed spaces
• Open a window to increase amount of fresh air
• Wear a medical or fabric mask when you cannot maintain 1
meter distance from other people
• Avoid unprotected close contact with anyone developing
cold or flu-like symptoms and seek medical care if you have a
fever, cough and difficulty breathing
For more information see: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
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 Resources

Contact:
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove vankerkhovem@who.int

Further reading:
COVID-19
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
Technical guidance
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-
2019/technical-guidance-publications

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