Coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Egyptian experience

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is an evolving pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The disease was first recognized in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. It was announced as an International Public Health Emergency in January 2020, and as a pandemic in March 2020. By reaching October 2020, more than 34.6 million cases along with 1.02 million deaths have been declared worldwide. The virus is of zoonotic origin and spreads most often when people are in close contact via small droplets or via contaminated surfaces. Common symptoms are mostly fever and respiratory symptoms and might be complicated by pneumonia and ARDS. Preventive measures include hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing a face mask in public, and self-isolation for suspected cases. Authorities worldwide implemented travel restrictions, lockdowns, screening, and contact tracing to slow the spread of the disease. These policies led to global social and economic burden, and up to 100 million people have fallen into extreme poverty.