A Progressive Approach on Lowering COVID-19 Transmission

Author(s): G.N. Nirmala, Sandra Jose

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is rapidly expanding in the major parts of the world like U.S.A, Spain and Europe and to respond to it, various countries are using national lockdown strategies and uncompromising restrictions on international travels with the intension to prevent the local transmission. Real time RT-PCR was believed to be “gold standard” but proved to be error prone, pointing out the need for an accurate diagnostic tool like ELISA based assay of immune responses. Several drugs have proved efficient against COVID-19 namely, Favipiravir, Remdisivir, Chloroquine and Monoclonal Antibodies. Most of the countries have been very effective in enhancing the survival rates using such diagnostic tools and treatment methods like Convalescent Plasma therapy. This review paper discusses the overall comparison of the severity of cases in the most affected parts of the world, variations in symptoms, effects of medical history, major treatment methods and measures taken in India to control this global pandemic effectively with least mortality rate (3%) when compared with the countries like U.S.A and Spain. Even when a higher recovery rate (22.5%) was reported in India, enhancing self-resistance by maintaining personal hygiene and distancing from public gatherings are necessary to avoid community spread of the epidemic.