Communication Skills MCM301

Department of Mass Communication

Virtual University of Pakistan SEMESTER Spring 2021

ASSIGNMENT NO.2 MARKS: 15

(Total Marks: 15)

Organizational Patterns for Body of Speech

Question No 1:
Considering the chronological pattern of writing body of a speech, write two paragraphs
on the topic “COVID-19 pandemic”.
(Marks: 10)

ANS:

What is COVID-19: COVID-19 is a disease that affects the respiratory system of humans. It
causes fever, cough, headache, fatigue, breathing difficulties, and loss of smell and taste. It also
causes mild fever and persistent pain or pressure in the chest.

From where it comes: It was first discovered in China’s city of Wuhan in December 2019.
And then in January 2020, the disease has spread fast to the rest of the world. It was declared a
pandemic by World Health Organization (WHO). It has spread throughout the world and is an
ongoing pandemic.

First wave: The government of Pakistan and the government of other countries were strictly
ordered to avoid crowds and maintain social distancing, they provided Quarantine, and isolation
to avoid the spread of COVID-19. The government of Pakistan imposed strict lockdown at the
start of the first wave of this epidemic but with time the government turned that lockdown into
smart lockdown. This was done to support poor people so that they could go to work and earn a
living for their families but the government ordered them to use a surgical mask and hand
sanitizer at all times. People were banned from going to the park and crowded places. The
Punjab government was banned indoor dining in its order which is also in the fourth wave,
however, outdoor dining was allowed till 10 pm. Indoor weddings were banned. Outdoor
weddings were allowed with maximum 400 guests under strict COVID protocols. The provincial
government was allowed restaurants to provide customers with the takeaway service 24 hours a
day. The government of Pakistan banned international travel to control COVID-19 in Pakistan.
There were lots of measures being taken by the government of Pakistan to control the outbreak
and facilitate their people.

Second wave: The government announced the second wave of COVID-19 in Pakistan in
October 2020, when cases of COVID-19 were increasing day by day, then again the government
of Pakistan imposed smart lockdown in major affected cities. There were many hospitals been
working in this scenario to bring back life and fight against the deadly outbreak of COVID-19 in
the country. The Government of Pakistan has established a COVID-19 Relief Fund to receive
donations for the welfare of the public.

Third wave: More than a year into the pandemic, Pakistan was fighting the third wave that
was sweeping across its main urban centers. The hospitalization statistics increased manifold
compared to the first and the second wave. the third wave of COVID-19 was very dangerous for
India.

Fourth wave: In view of the recent COVID-19 cases amid the fourth wave of the pandemic,
the Punjab government has imposed a lockdown in Lahore, Multan, Rawalpindi, and Faisalabad
on Tuesday. The lockdown has been imposed from Tuesday, August 3, and will remain in effect
till August 31, according to a notification issued by the provincial government. It is pertinent to
mention here that the decision to re-impose restrictions was taken by the National Command and
Operation Centre (NCOC) after reviewing the worsening situation of the pandemic in the
country. As per the Punjab government's notification, market/business activities will be allowed to
operate till 08:00 pm.

Ways to prevent the disease

Use Face Masks.
When In Closed And Crowded Places. Cover coughs and sneezes with tissues.
Avoid Crowd.
As an individual, you can lower your risk of infection by reducing your rate of contact with other
people. Avoiding public spaces and unnecessary social gatherings, especially events with large
numbers of people or crowds, will lower the chance that you will be exposed to the corona virus
as well as to other infectious diseases like flu.
Hand Hygiene.
Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or uses hand sanitizer if soap and
water are not available.
Sick People.
Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.

Question No 2:
Considering the topic “AstraZeneca Vaccine”, collect a one paragraph material from each
of the following sources and give proper citation.

Sources of Gathering Material:

1. Newspaper
2. Magazine
Note: The citation must include the following:

 Author
 Article title
 Newspaper/Magazine title
 Date of publication
 Page number
(Marks: 2.5 + 2.5)

ANS:
Author: Interim.

Article title: Interim recommendation for use of Astrazeneca vaccine against COVID-19
developed by Oxford University and Astrazeneca.

Magazine title: World health organization.

Date of publication: 10 February 2021.

Page number. 01/02

These interim recommendations apply to AZD1222 (ChAdOx1-S vaccine against COVID-

19 developed by Oxford University (United Kingdom) and AstraZeneca as well as to
ChAdOx1-S vaccines against COVID-19 produced by other manufacturers that rely on the
AstraZeneca core clinical data, following demonstrated equivalence in their regulatory
review and once emergency use listing (EUL) has been obtained from WHO.

The guidance is based on the evidence summarized in the Background document on

AZD1222 vaccine against COVID-19 developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and
the Background paper on COVID-19 disease and vaccines.

The AZD1222 vaccine against COVID-19 has an efficacy of 63.09% (95% CI 51.81; 71.73)
against symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection, as shown by the primary analysis of data
irrespective of interdose interval (data cut 7 December 2020) from trial participants in the
United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa who received 2 standard doses. Vaccine efficacy
tended to be higher when the interval between doses was longer. This, together with the
finding of higher antibody levels with increasing interdose interval, supports the conclusion
that longer dose intervals within the 4–12 weeks range are associated with greater vaccine
efficacy. No vaccinated persons were hospitalized from 22 days after dose 1, compared with
14 unvaccinated persons who were hospitalized for COVID-19 in the same time frame. At
the time of analysis, the median follow-up time after the second dose was 80 days.