Patient/caregiver was educated on COVID-19 as follows:
- COVID-19, also called coronavirus disease, is a highly infectious disease caused by a new strain of coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2.
- This coronavirus disease diagnosed in the year 2019 and so, was named COVID-19.
- This new coronavirus disease started off and slowly turned into a pandemic involving many countries around the world in the year 2020. Some countries have been reeling through a second wave of the virus infection in the year 2021, with researchers and health experts foreseeing further waves to hit.
- As this is relatively a new viral disease, there are many unknowns about this virus for the year 2021.
- A lot of research is in progress to establish the full spectrum of the virus infectivity, possible risk factors, side-effects, and address all other unknowns pertaining to the virus.
- During the first wave, many people infected with the virus experienced mild to moderate respiratory illness and recovered without needing to be hospitalized and undergoing any special treatments. Older people, especially individuals with compromised immunity, and individuals with underlying poorly managed serious health conditions, such as, heart disease, diabetes, COPD, oxygen dependency, and cancer succumbed to the virus infection.
- During the second wave, the virus infection has involved many individuals in the younger age-groups as well in many parts of the world, thus posing a challenge to establish the full spectrum of virus infectivity.
- The pandemic caused devastating effects around the world, with heavy loss of human life along with economic and social disruption.
