Control Measures for Human Respiratory Viral Infection

Abstract

New viral respiratory pathogens are emerging with increasing frequency and have potentially devastating impacts on the population worldwide. Recent examples of newly emerged threats include severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. Experiences with these pathogens have shown up major deficiencies in how we deal globally with emerging pathogens and taught us salient lessons in what needs to be addressed for future pandemics. This article reviews the lessons learnt from past experience and current knowledge on the range of measures required to limit the impact of emerging respiratory infections from public health responses down to individual patient management. Key areas of interest are surveillance programs, political limitations on our ability to respond quickly enough to emerging threats, media management, public information dissemination, infection control, prophylaxis, and individual patient management. Respiratory physicians have a crucial role to play in many of these areas and need to be aware of how to respond as new viral pathogens emerge.

How health systems approached respiratory viral pandemics over time: a systematic review

“…Twelve 14–16 18 19 26 30 32–35 37 articles reported data on influenza A H1N1, seven 21–25 27 28 articles were on COVID-19, one article 29 was on MERS, one article was on SARS, 20 two articles 17 36 were on both influenza A H1N1 and SARS and one article 31 was on influenza A H1N1, SARS and MERS. The included articles were published from 2008 until 2020.…”

“…Additionally, enhanced surveillance, contact tracing and a quarantine for asymptomatic contacts, were effective tools in preventing a secondary outbreak of the 2009 influenza A H1N1 in China 32 and in containing the spread of influenza A H1N1 and SARS. 31 Considering the reported effectiveness of NPIs in controlling the spread of respiratory viruses, the continuity of these measures throughout the epidemics’ transition phases was highly recommended.…”

“…In Taiwan, contact tracing strategies during the SARS outbreak were used to rapidly identify possible early secondary cases and any unrecognised source of infection for persons without epidemiological links, along with a quarantine of asymptomatic contacts proved effective in containing the infection. 20 The enhanced surveillance was crucial in increasing the capability for effective control measures to contain and limit the spread of influenza A H1N1 in Australia 31 and England as well. 34 The latter highlighted the importance of an appropriate regional-based surveillance programme, operating throughout the year in summer and in winter.…”

Evaluating Droplet Survivability on Face Masks with X-ray Microtomography

“…Over the past 150 years, humanity has faced several pandemics that have emerged from respiratory viral infections . In early 2020, the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) led to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. , With more than 600 million cases reported, this devastating pandemic caused the collapse of health systems and threatened social and economic stability around the world. − In the case of respiratory viral infections, droplets that are exhaled by an infected individual while talking, coughing, or sneezing can lead to contamination of a susceptible person through direct contact (physical, inhalation of respiratory droplets or aerosols) or indirect contact (fomites: contaminated solids). − In both scenarios, using face masks is a prevention measure that mitigates the transmission of respiratory diseases, protecting healthy individuals, and obstructing the passage of droplets from an infected person. − In South Korea, to reduce economic and social disturbances, the Korean Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) imposed strict measures on compulsory mask use for the entire population, which would be implemented up until 2022 .…”

EMARIS Conference 2023: Convergence of science, policy, and practice on acute respiratory infections in post COVID‐19 Eastern Mediterranean Region

“…Acute respiratory infection (ARI) is consistently ranked among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. It kills more than 4 million people each year globally yet has been referred to as a “forgotten pandemic.” 1 New viral respiratory pathogens are emerging with increasing frequency and have demonstrated their potential for devastating global public health, socio‐economic and political impacts 2 . Within two decades, the world has faced an influenza A(H1N1) pdm09 pandemic and the emergence of three highly pathogenic and deadly human coronaviruses, namely SARS‐CoV, MERS‐CoV and SARS‐CoV‐2, the last one causing a pandemic 3 .…”