COVID-19 Flashcards
What family of viruses does COVID-19 belong to?
Coronaviruses
A large family of viruses including
- SARS: severe acute respiratory syndrome
- MERS: middle eastern respiratory syndrome
- Seasonal coronavirus
What are the features of coronaviruses?
Crown like spikes on the surface
Enveloped RNA based
Who can coronaviruses infect?
Humans and animals
(is zoonotic = large number circulating in animals)
What are the different types of coronaviruses?
Alpha - related to bats
Beta - related to bats (COVID-19)
Gamma - related to birds
Delta - related to pigs
What was the initial and intermediate hosts for COVID-19 (and other coronaviruses)?
Initial host = bats
Intermediate = don’t know!
- MERS = camel
- SARS = cats
How is COVID-19 transmitted?
Cough
Sneeze
Touch
How does coronavirus attack/infect the body?
- Enter nose/respiratory tract
- Use binders on human cells to enter
- Hijack enzymes and replicate virus protein
- Package it up
- Leave cell to infect more cells
How does the immune system respond?
Via T and B cells
T cells = direct attack
B cells = memory attack
How long can COVID-19 survive on certain surfaces?
- Copper = 3
- Copper = 4
- Cardboard = 24
- Steel = 48
- Plastic = 72
- Glass = 96
Define the term epidemic
Refers to an increase, often sudden, in the number of cases of a disease above what is normally expected in that population in that area.
e.g. Ebola
Define the term endemic
Refers to the constant presence and/or unusual prevalence of a disease/infectious agent in a population within a geography area.
e.g. malaria
Define the term outbreak
Carries same definition of epidemic but is often used for a more limited geographic area.
e.g. cholera
Define the term pandemic
Refers to an epidemic that has spread over several countries or continents usually affecting a large number of people.
e.g. COVID-19
What are variants of interest?
Genetic traits which predict
- Greater transmissibility
- More severe disease
- Evasion of immune system or testing
What are variants of concern?
Observed to
- Have increased transmissibility
- Cause more serious infection
- Cause reinfection or infection of immunised
What are variants of high consequence?
No protection from vaccines
What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
Rhinorrhoea - runny nose
General malaise
Headache
Fever
Cough
Sore through
And lots of others
What is a complication of COVID-19 and what are its signs?
Pneumonitis
- Inflammation of the lung
- CXR: white patches throughout the lung
What are the main tests used to identify COVID-19?
LFT
PCR
Antibody test
What are the benefits of LFT and how does it work?
Looks for antigens to see if you have the condition
Benefits:
- Simple to use
- Good when you have a high viral load (early in condition
- Cheap
- Fast result
What are the disadvantages of LFT?
- When you have a high viral load there’s usually no/minimal symptoms so not likely to do a test.
- Can give false -ve
How does PCR work and list some benefits?
Looks for protein of COVID-19 and amplifies it until visible.
Benefits
- Can detect protein throughout the whole illness
What are some disadvantages of PCR?
Slower (6 hours at best)
Expensive
Can pick up dead virus (which is non-transmissible)
Who was the antibody test used on?
Used to look at immunocompromised patients (people with cancer etc.)
No longer used in practice
What types of treatment are available for COVID-19 patients?
Supportive
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-viral
What types of supportive treatments are used?
Oxygen
Fluids
Paracetamol
What types of anti-inflammatory treatments are used?
Steroids
Baricitinib
Tocilizumab
- Only evidence for working on very sick patients who have high markers of inflammation in their blood.
What types of anti-viral treatments are used?
Remdesivir
Paxlovid
What does immunisation do?
- Expose body to parts of the virus so you can build an immune response and memory for future infection.
- Reduced chance of infection
- Reduced chance of death
What are some possible complications of COVID-19?
Thrombosis
Post COVID syndrome (long COVID)
Explain thrombosis in relation to COVID.
Infection causes inflammation, narrowing blood vessels and leading to blockages and thickening of the blood, this leads to clots.
Incidence
- Deep vein thrombosis - 11.8%
- Pulmonary embolism - 7.8%
Treatment
- Blood thinning medication
Prevention
- Keep active/moving
Explain post COVID syndrome in relation to COVID.
Consistent symptoms for 3 months after covid diagnosis that can’t be explained by something else (another illness/virus).
Who is at risk of long COVID?
Elderly/very young
Females
Minority ethnic groups
The obese
Smokers
Severe clinical status (underlying health conditions)
What are the symptoms of long COVID?
Persistent cough
Low grade fever
Fatigue
Myalgia
Palpitations
Headache
How do you treat long COVID?
No drugs/treatments
Advice is to slowly build up activity and usual daily activities
Treat symptoms with paracetamol
What is heard immunity?
The resistance to the spread of an infectious disease within a population that is based on pre-existing immunity of a high proportion of individuals as a result of previous infection or vaccination.
