School of Foundation Studies 2022/2023 UCS1723 English Ⅱ

UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SARAWAK (UTS)

FOUNDATION IN SCIENCE / ARTS

SEMESTER 2, ACADEMIC SESSION 2022/2023

UCS1723 ENGLISH II
ASSIGNMENT: ESSAY WRITING

TOPIC:

Global Pandemic: Prevention of Infection and Transmission of COVID-19

PREPARED FOR:

MS. JILL LING / MS. ROSHINI / MS. FETYLYANA

PREPARED BY:

Full Name (as in IC) Student ID (Leader) FIS22060004

1. SHARMAN A/L KAILASA PILLAI MUDALIAR
2. IVERSON TANG PING SIENG
3. HII DAI SHENG
4. JACKSON TOH KOK CHEW
5. ERIC FOO TEE CHIEN
6. FONG SHIONG YI

SUBMISSION DATE:

19th JANUARY 2023

 School of Foundation Studies 2022/2023 UCS1723 English Ⅱ

Global Pandemic: Prevention of Infection and Transmission of COVID-19

Sharman Mudaliar*, Iverson Tang, Hii Dai Sheng, Jackson Toh, Eric Foo, Fong Shiong Yi.

School of Foundation Studies, University of Technology Sarawak.

It had been a tough year for 2020 as the lockdown was announced to everyone
around the whole world to stay indoors at all times to ensure the safety of the peoples’
health. A virus had caused a pandemic outbreak that shook the whole world. This virus was
not only contagious but deadly as well since it did results in a lot of deaths around the whole
world. Stocks market, world economics had dropped at a drastic rate that worried all
entrepreneurs and businessmen. Students find difficulties in adjusting to a new life while
having this virus as a serious issue. Many residents have lost their job due to the pandemic
outbreak. Scientists all around the world join hands to create a cure to end the pandemic
era. Will our lives be back to normal without worrying about another lockdown ever to
happen in the future? No matter wherever you are or which area your neighbourhood is in,
the government always wanted you to take care of yourself and your family by taking safety
precautions as our responsibility while they prepare countermeasures for us to fight against
the virus as desperate time calls for desperate measures.” Not to make the situation worse
but the virus is still spreading up until now. Before we continue more let’s discuss more
about this so-called virus that caused all our lives to be in a troublesome situation.

Coronavirus also known as COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, China, in

December 2019. This virus spread throughout the world in just a few months. The number of
cases skyrocketed every day. For China, approximately 80,000 new cases of COVID-19
were found every day during March 2020. Full lockdown was imposed in lots of countries to
prevent the transmission of this virus. Without any medicine curing, lockdown was the only
solution to fight back the virus during outbreak of the virus. Trading, freight services, social
activities and even schooling was suspended.    

         The Coronavirus, first discovered and identified in the 1960s, are found in birds and
mammals like bats, cats, and rats. The causative agent of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs
to the genus β-Coronavirus, family Coronaviridae, and order Nidovirales. A similar human
coronavirus was found to be responsible for SARS in 2002 and 2003. Coronaviruses are
named for the crown-like spikes on their surface.(2020)

Symptoms for COVID-19 were fever, dry cough, persistent pressure in the chest, and
shortness of breath. Some patients may suffer from sneezing, and running nose which is the
same as a common cold, however some may have symptoms like diarrhoea. These
symptoms may transmit viruses to other people and cause infection to others. (2020)

As we know that COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which also spreads
between people in several different ways like SARS and MERS. Current evidence states that
this virus mainly spreads between people who are in close contact with one another such as
staying under a conversational distance or crowd in hermetic space. The virus can spread
from an infected person’s mouth or nose in small liquid droplets when they cough, sneeze,
speak, sing or breathe. Another person can then contract the virus when infectious droplets
that pass through the air are inhaled at short range. Even infectious droplets that come into
contact with the eyes, nose, or mouth can transmit the virus. Staying under a poorly
ventilated and crowded indoor environment was the worst idea during the pandemic
outbreak. People will get infected easily as the aerosols can remain suspended in the air or
travel farther than long-range airborne transmission. 
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         People who are infected with COVID-19 can release droplets of respiratory fluids that
contain the SARS CoV-2 virus into the air when they exhale. The droplets or aerosol
particles vary across a wide range of sizes which means from visible to microscopic. Once
the infectious droplets and particles are exhaled, they move outward from the patient. These
droplets carry the virus and transmit infection to others. Transmission of COVID-19 from
inhalation of virus in the air can occur at distances greater than six feet, approximately
182.88 cm. Particles from an infected person can move throughout an entire room or indoor
space. The particles can also linger in the air after a person has left the room. The virus can
remain airborne for hours in some cases. Someone can also be exposed via splashes and
sprays of respiratory fluids directly onto their mucous membranes. Spread may also
sometimes occur through contact with contaminated surfaces; however, it is now considered
less likely to transmit virus.

COVID-19 patients also have been detected for having an increase in lactate
dehydrogenase (LDH), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), C-
reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase (CK), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white
blood cell (WBC) count, D-dimer level, procalcitonin, urea, and creatinine. They also have a
decrease in haemoglobin, lymphocyte count, eosinophil count, and serum albumin. (Lotfi et
al., 2020)

Children who have COVID-19 have milder symptoms and better clinical outcomes
compared to adults. In one study, 1391 children with a median age of 6.7 years were
surveyed, and 171 were diagnosed with COVID-19. Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and
mechanical ventilation were needed for only three children, who had underlying conditions.
By March 8th, 2020, one child with intussusception had died, 21 children remained in a
stable condition in the ward, and 149 cases were discharged. (Melika Lotfi, Michael R.
Hamblin, Nima Rezaei, 2020)

Besides that, the World Health Organization (WHO) already provides some practical
and effective ways to prevent the transmission of covid -19.WHO also reminds every country
in the world to do enough preparation to face the pandemic of COVID-19 because it will
have a lot of harmful effects on the economy, citizens’ health, education, and other areas of
the country. So, the president of WHO has also reminded every prime minister or leader of
all countries that they must pay attention to the prevention of infection and transmission of
COVID-19. The objectives are to minimize economic hits around the world. It also wants to
make sure that the death toll caused by this pandemic can be minimized. Now I will list and
explain the ways given by the WHO one by one.
    
Our government in Malaysia makes extensive preparations for the COVID-19
pandemic and following the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations. caused
by the airborne transfer of COVID-19. As a result, the government's first measure is to start
the Malaysia movement control order (MCO) on March 18, 2020. We all believe that this
action will be taken quickly, but the ongoing extension of MCO makes us despondent. The
government also forces us to protect our own health. If someone is established by the
government and engages in group activities such as a privilege, sport, society, and culture
events, they will be subject to punishment under MCO. The punishment is fines and
imprisonment. Our MCO rules also place a strong emphasis on community patrols to ensure
that anyone who violates the MCO guidelines adopted by the government will be subject to
punishment. Nevertheless, the government has also prevented the immigration of travellers
from other countries. This is to ensure that no other person who has Covid-19 can enter and
spread the Covid-19 virus in our country and infect our citizens with Covid -19. Our
Malaysians returning to Malaysia must undergo 14 days of self-isolation in a quarantined
hotel. The allowance should also be given to Malaysian citizens about the cost of the hotel
under quarantine. This prevents the propagation and transmission of COVID-19.
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In addition, the E-government and social media are also important platforms to
supply information related to COVID-19 and to educate people on protective behaviour. As
people limit their physical interaction, stay more at home, and have more online time during
the pandemic, their attitude toward protective behaviour adoption could be influenced by
exposure to e-government and social media. 
 
Furthermore, the government also provides free safety masks for the people
suffering from poverty. The government always wanted to make sure the people always take
care of themselves by wearing masks to prevent the COVID-19 virus infection. Even when
the mask producing industry was monopoly by some big manufacturers or there was out of
stock, the government had planned and lowered the price of masks to ensure the people
had enough masks whenever going out. The government had reduced the surgical mask
price from RM1.50 to RM1. The government’s action was trying to make the surgical mask
affordable for all people by reducing the transmission of COVID-19. 
 
The surgical mask is more safety for all people because it can reduce viral
transmission by 70% if everyone wears them and wears them correctly over their mouth and
nose. According to a January 2021 study, transmission from asymptomatic individuals was
estimated to account for more than half of all transmissions. That means a patient could be
carrying the virus in their body before they get any symptoms of COVID-19, maybe they are
infected by the virus but never have any symptoms, so we must wear a mask correctly
whenever the virus hasn't been controlled completely. Wearing a mask is an easy way to
keep ourselves from the virus.  

Next, the government should supply enough treatment equipment. For example,
when COVID-19 virus first outbreak in Wuhan, China, the Chinese government built a
temporary hospital in just six days to treat more patients which is one of the reasons why
China can control the virus faster than other countries at first. With more patient rooms, more
patients may survive from the virus and recover without suffering and waiting for treatment.
Without proper treatment equipment, healthcare workers may also become ill, with sick
healthcare workers, they may contribute to viral transmission. Enough treatment equipment
can reduce the transmission among the society. With enough test kits, people with
symptoms can immediately know whether they were infected by the virus. The patient will
then have treatment but when the test kit is out of stock, he or she may transmit the virus to
people all around them. (Cohen, J., & Rodgers, Y. V. M., 2020)

Getting a vaccine injection was indeed important to all people to protect themselves
from the virus. The vaccine can reduce the risk of getting infected by the virus. When we get
our first shot, our body begins to produce antibodies to the coronavirus. These antibodies
help our immune system to fight back the virus whenever we are exposed to the virus.
However, some may refuse to get injected as they thought whoever injected the vaccine still
will be infected. But, when all the population was injected, herd immunity reached among the
society, the chance to get infected was really small. 

In our perspective, the first and foremost thing to do in order to prevent the spread of
COVID-19 is to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccines contain weak or dead antigen
which can activate our body's immune system to recognize the targeted virus and produce
antibodies to fight the virus. It is undeniable that after vaccination, our body will surely be
able to protest against the virus even though the protection effect from the vaccine is not 100
percent. Rumour has it that some people got the opposite effect or even died immediately
after the vaccination. A lot of people believe in the uncertified news and are afraid of getting
vaccinated. It critically caused the spread of COVID-19 to be even more rampant. As to
clarify, the vaccines that are available nowadays are all proven to be safe and effective by
WHO. COVID-19 vaccines are urged to go through strictly testing in clinical trials to ensure
 School of Foundation Studies 2022/2023 UCS1723 English Ⅱ

that the vaccines are safe to be used. If it isn’t proven to be safe, the trial will be cancelled.
However, there are still some of the side effects after vaccination. The side effects after
vaccination are usually part of our body's mechanism to protest against disease. These side
effects are normally mild and will disappear within a few days, so there is no need to worry
about whether the vaccine is harmful or not. At the current stage, the vaccines that were
invented might have some flaws, but we cannot complain any more as it is the most effective
way to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As the saying goes, it is always better than nothing.

Someone that has already been infected by COVID-19 might have the thought that
they already got immunity against COVID-19 after infection and don’t need to take the
vaccine again. However, scientists can't predict how long this natural immunity will last for.
As a result, all people are advised to get vaccination even if you've been infected with
COVID-19 before as the vaccines can offer added protection to those who already had
COVID-19. As has been demonstrated, we sincerely encourage everyone to take
vaccination as it only comes with benefits and also can contribute in preventing the spread of
COVID-19.

To a greater extent, the other thing that we can do to prevent the spread of COVID-
19 is to keep social distance while we are outdoors. What is social distance by the way?
Social distance is the distance that we should keep while communicating with others in an
attempt to reduce close contact between people. By applying social distance, we should
maintain a distance of about 2 metres from others while communicating if possible. For our
current knowledge, COVID-19 usually can be spread through coughing, sneezing and close
contact. Close contact with others that you don’t know is definitely the most risky one during
the pandemic. We can’t be certain whether the people that we have contact with are the
carrier of COVID-19 or not. Even more challenging is that some of those infected people are
asymptomatic, we are not able to distinguish between the infected person by looking at their
symptoms. As to summarise, the closer we are with a large amount of people, the more
likely we are to be exposed to the virus. To avoid this situation, all we can do is to limit our
contact with people by applying social distance in our daily life. In this case, why don’t we
just stay at home during the pandemic?  Indeed, at the first stage of the pandemic, the
government urged all the citizens to stay at home in order to avoid the spread of the virus
and it did work for a while. However, as the pandemic protracted, people are forced to live
decadently at home for a long time and a bunch of people even lose their jobs. According to
the survey, millions of workers lost their jobs as many industries were forced to shut down
due to the pandemic. The GDP of numerous economies has also been affected due to the
disruption of production in various industries. From this, it can be seen that staying indoors is
not a long lasting solution to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Nowadays, the epidemic has
slowed down a bit. Most of our life has gradually gone back to normal and a lot of people
started to ignore the existence of COVID-19. Social distancing is not anymore important for
them. Nevertheless, the effects of being infected with COVID-19 are still critical. It is better
for us to be alert all the time to avoid irreparable consequences. As the saying goes, it’s
better safe than sorry. To sum up, social distancing is crucial for preventing the spread of
COVID-19 and everybody is encouraged to apply it.

To sum up everything that have been stated so far, as a responsible person, we all
have our duties to take care of our own health and our families’. We should avoid physical
contact with anyone who has high risk of getting the Covid 19 virus and use sanitizers
frequently. We must ensure that we have our face mask with us every time whenever we are
heading out to run some errands or get groceries. The government orders also need to be
paid attention to as they prioritise our safety and health.

[2666 words]
 School of Foundation Studies 2022/2023 UCS1723 English Ⅱ

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