ABSTRACT
The sounding of this ‘highest level of alarm’ followed from the emergence of COVID-19 in the city of Wuhan, in Hubei Province, China, along with being identified in 18 other countries. At the time of writing, estimates indicate that the total number of recorded COVID-19 infections is fast approaching 42 million, with the virus having claimed more than 1.1 million lives across 218 countries or regions, allowing for reporting differences. While the cause of Covid-19 is still being determined, it is known to be part of a family of coronaviruses which stem from zoonotic sources. The highest mortality rates are also found amongst persons of any age with underlying health conditions or taking treatments which impact on their immunity and thereby exacerbate the effects of the virus. Studies also indicate that background factors such as ethnicity, being male, obese, and poor are associated with an increased risk of death.
