The global health community faces an unprecedented challenge in the coming months. As the world continues to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, governments must focus on managing a disease that is still highly contagious and evolving.
As COVID-19 mortality declines, a transition toward normalcy may begin. That would mean that the disease would no longer be exceptional in society, and public-health measures could be phased out as the virus adapted to become part of a baseline.
Human-to-Human Transmission
The viruses that cause COVID-19 and seasonal flu can spread between people who are in close contact with one another. They are spread mainly by large and small virus-containing particles that are expelled when infected people cough, sneeze or talk.
However, the new coronavirus that causes the COVID-19 Pandemic may have a different route of transmission. It has been found to infect bats and some species of domestic animals, including hamsters, mink and North American white-tailed deer.
During the SARS outbreak in 2003, bats were a major reservoir of the virus that caused SARS. Other natural hosts for coronaviruses include civet cats and camels, which have also transmitted coronaviruses that have caused severe illness in humans.
The first COVID-19 cases occurred in China, where the virus emerged in December 2019. It has since been confirmed to be spreading worldwide. During the outbreak, WHO has been working to understand and learn more about the epidemic and how to best respond to it.
Animal-to-Human Transmission
Many diseases are zoonotic, meaning that they can be transmitted from animals to humans. Several animal-to-human transmissions have occurred during the COVID-19 Pandemic, including two cats living in different New York households, and a mink farm in Hong Kong.
The most common way that diseases pass between people is through skin-to-skin contact, or by biting or scratching each other. This is usually not a serious health concern, but it can be dangerous if you are ill and haven’t had a chance to wash your hands.
Although most zoonotic diseases can’t be passed from animals to humans, some do. For example, rabies is a disease that can be spread between mammals, especially those with weak immune systems, such as dogs and cats.
Animal-to-Animal Transmission
Viruses that jump from animals to people are called zoonotic. They can cause human infections that are not typically seen in humans (for example, swine flu and bird flu).
Animal-to-animal transmission is particularly likely to occur in countries that are rapidly changing natural habitats into agricultural land. These changes may be caused by habitat destruction, intensified agriculture to meet growing human needs, and illegal wildlife trade and hunting.
Scientists have documented three instances where COVID-19 infection has moved from animals to humans: a mink in the Netherlands, hamsters on a farm in Denmark, and one possible case of deer to humans. No dangerous variants have emerged as a result of these events, which suggests that COVID-19 infection has mostly been spread from humans to animals during the pandemic.
However, the fact that COVID-19 can spread from animals to humans suggests that a one-health approach is needed to prevent disease from becoming a serious zoonotic threat in the future. This includes promoting good hand hygiene after contact with livestock or wildlife.
Human-to-Animal Transmission
The COVID-19 Pandemic has spread globally from humans to a range of animals, including cats, dogs, ferrets, and hamsters. This is called animal-to-animal transmission and is not something that is unusual.
Humans may become infected through direct contact with infected animals, or by indirect contact with surfaces and objects that have been contaminated with germs. These include aquarium tank water, pet habitats, chicken coops, barns, and food dishes.
People can also get sick from consuming contaminated food or drink, such as unpasteurised milk, undercooked meat and eggs, or raw fruits and vegetables that have been contaminated with feces from infected animals. In addition to direct contact, human activities that alter the environment can increase the risk of disease spillovers from wildlife to people, referred to as zoonotic transmission (see below).
Scientists believe that most major outbreaks of diseases serious enough to be deemed epidemics or pandemics begin with animal populations. For example, the H5N1 flu in 1997 was believed to have started with wild birds, and SARS-1 in 2002 began with civets, a catlike mammal.
FAQs
Q: How to cope after COVID?
Ans: Talk to people you trust or a health care professional. Writing your worries down can help. Try practising relaxed breathing, or try a relaxation exercise, or some mindfulness, whichever one relaxes you the most.
Q: How did people cope during lockdown?
Ans: Stay socially connected: Social distancing can bring about feelings of loneliness particularly among people who live alone.
Q: How did COVID affect mental health?
Ans: These symptoms can include neurological symptoms such as difficulty thinking or concentrating, sleep problems, and depression or anxiety.