Understanding the COVID-19 prevention and control strategies and their appropriate applicability through the basics of epidemiology

Abstract

The current article is about the background knowledge of corona, various epidemiological definitions and different strategies adopted to prevent and control corona infection. How the preventive measures are applied and what is epidemiological basis behind these measures is the core of the article. The article also mentioned the variations in mortality pattern and goes on defining important indicators as case-fatality ratio, deaths/1 lakh population and the relevance of both in the current situation of corona infection. In the article, important terms such as different types of cases in corona infection, basic reproduction number, effective reproduction number, and their epidemiological significance in corona infection, herd immunity, and herd immunity threshold are discussed. The importance of lockdown as a preventive measure, enforcement of epidemic disease act 1897 and its amendment, disaster management act 2005, social distancing, cough etiquette, and others are highlighted.