Question

Apply PERIE to COVID-19. Use Figure 2.2 in your discussion of establishing various hypotheses for the cause of the disease now called COVID-19. For example, since it first appeared in China, might researchers have made an association that it was a disease unique to the Chinese population? What factors did or did not support this initial association? I do encourage you to compare recommendations from CDC, WHO, your state Dept. of Public Health (DPH) or your state CDC. I also encourage you to look for scientific evidence about the effectiveness of different mask materials and effectiveness of “6 feet away” or “groups of 10 or less.” I would ask you to look for evidence of what interventions are effective and what magnitude of effectiveness each is estimated to have.

Answer 1

COVID-19 is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets generated when a person, for example, coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose. It is important that everyone practices good respiratory hygiene. For example, sneeze or cough into a flexed elbow, or use a tissue and discard it immediately into a closed bin. It is also very important for people to wash their hands regularly with either alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

There is strong evidence that current interventions have significantly reduced the burden of covid 19 in oregon. The result of calibrating the model to oregon data. The data are consistent with a stepped reduction in transmission in oregon. If no social distancing measures were put in place in oregon the epidemic would have continued to grow exponentially doubling every day.