COVID-19 and its Modes of Transmission

Abstract

The World Health Organization recognized SARS-CoV-2 as a public health concern and declared it as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. Over 12 million people have been affected across several countries since it was first recognized. SARS-CoV-2 is thought to commonly spread via respiratory droplets formed while talking, coughing, and sneezing of an infected patient. As several cases, with an absence of travel history to the majorly affected areas were identified, a strong possibility of community transmission could have been possible. Broadly, two modes of transmission of COVID-19 exist-direct and indirect. The direct mode includes (1) transmission via aerosols formed via surgical and dental procedures and/or in the form of respiratory droplet nuclei; (2) other body fluids and secretions, for example, feces, saliva, urine, semen, and tears; and (3) mother-to-child. Indirect transmission may occur via (1) fomites or surfaces (e.g., furniture and fixtures) present within the immediate environment of an infected patient and (2) objects used on the infected person (e.g., stethoscope or thermometer). As many of these modes may be underestimated, it is necessary to emphasize and illustrate them. The goal of this paper is to briefly review how SARS-CoV-2 is shown to transmit via various modes and propose measures to reduce the risk of spread within the population and operating personnel. Keywords Transmission. Modes of transmission. Aerosols. COVID-19 transmission Abbreviations COVID-19 Coronavirus disease-2019 C-section Cesarean section RNA Ribonucleic acid SARS-CoV-2 Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome-coronavirus-2 This article is part of the Topical Collection on Covid-19

Health Problems and Skin Damages Caused by Personal Protective Equipment: Experience of Frontline Nurses Caring for Critical COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care Units

“…Since the mode of transmission of the disease is established to be respiratory droplet and indirect contact with fomites, 5 – 7 the use of the PPEs is essential to prevent the cross-transmission of the infection. The PPEs comprises the equipment that protect the mouth, nose, eyes, ears, bare skin, and vulnerable parts, such as head and hands from the deadliest infectious secretions from the patients.…”

Effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) on reproductive system

“…Several results suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 have been found in the semen and testicle in men infected by SARS-CoV-2 at both acute and recovery phases. Thus, it supported that the SARS-CoV-2 can be sexually transmitted by men ( Karia et al, 2020 , Karia and Nagraj, 2020 ). Due to the imperfect blood-testicle/deferens/epididymis barriers, SARS-CoV-2 might be seeded to the male reproductive tract, especially in the presence of systemic local inflammation ( Kayaaslan et al, 2020 , Khalili et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Indeed, abstinence or condom use might be considered as preventive for these patients. In conclusion, researchers found results that male patients were reportedly slightly more affected than women by both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infections ( Holtmann et al, 2020 , Karia et al, 2020 , Karia and Nagraj, 2020 , Kayaaslan et al, 2020 , Khalili et al, 2020 ; Li et al, 2020; Ma et al, 2020 , Paoli et al, 2020 , Vishvkarma and Rajender, 2020 ).…”

Analysis and Evaluation of COVID-19 Web Applications for Health Professionals: Challenges and Opportunities

“…The nature of the coronavirus pandemic has gathered professionals from multiple disciplines to identify preventive mechanisms [ 9 , 10 ], decode genetic composition of the virus to understand its biological nature [ 11 ], invent novel and effective medical treatments [ 12 ], control its modes of transmission [ 13 ], and devise containment policies in communities or regions [ 14 ]. This interdisciplinary endeavor requires having the latest insights from multiple fields spanning across medical, physical, and social sciences as well as multiple fields of engineering.…”