Series: Infectious Diseases and Microbiology
BISAC: MED022000
DOI: 10.52305/DDGK1950

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19) is a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread globally into a pandemic. The outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 30, 2020 by the World Health Organization. The disease has spread to almost 200 countries and continues to do so, resulting in huge mortalities and morbidities, as well as economic burden on the affected countries. The pandemic has resulted in global shutdown and has impacted many lives.

This book analyzes the epidemiology of COVID 19, the characteristics of the virus, its mode of spread, pathogenesis, pathology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, prevention, and prognosis. The impact of the disease on the health care system, its psycho-social implications, and its impact on the economy is also discussed in detail. This will serve as a reference manual for physicians, students, epidemiologists and researchers in the field. Knowledge about the infection is fast-evolving, hence readers are advised to review the latest guidelines, especially concerning the management of cases of COVID 19.