The Power of Infectious Diseases — Will We Ever Face a New Pandemic?

By Keisha Jade D. Luib

Introduction to the World of Infectious Diseases and the Recent Pandemics 

  The sight of people panically purchasing the last stock of toilet paper, the overwhelming multitudes of individuals lining up to get their rapid testing, these are correlated to the recent occurrences of daunting pandemics. Based on the statistics recorded by the Worldometer, the recent pandemic, which was on trend from 2021-2024, led to 7,010,681 deaths (Last recorded on April 13th 2024). Thus, with the current strain of Covid-19, also known as the 2019 novel coronavirus, shall we explore the world of infectious diseases and its common pathways of transmission and encourage the prevention of certain diseases to reach out to us?

Phenomenal Pathways of Transmission of Infectious Diseases — How Does it Infect Us?

 It is believed that the main site of transmission varies through several routes, which includes direct and indirect contact. That being stated, let’s immerse ourselves in the world of infection transmissions and acknowledge how they enter our bodies unconsciously.

1. Person-To-Person Transmission

   Have you ever thought about those moments when you are sitting peacefully in a train, listening to melodious beats and out of the blue, an individual coughs uncontrollably, causing a nuisance to other travellers with their ear-splitting “ahems”?  This is a perfect epitome on how a person could transmit their diseases to other individuals around the area. Based on a research by the Government of South Australia, SA Health, it has mentioned that germs could spread through the air as small droplets or tiny aerosol particles, which carries the possibilities of airborne spread and droplet spread. 

  When droplet infections such as respiratory viruses are stored inside one’s body, when one sneezes or coughs with the droplets expelled, it is propelled from an infected person directly onto the mucosal surfaces of a host which is in contact with the external environment. Once it touches the host’s external surface or with the host’s direct inhalation of the infection droplets, the host will begin to experience the similar symptoms as the individual that passed it onto them, which illustrates the pathway of person to person transmission. 

2. By Means of Vectors

  Dengue fever, chikungunya, malaria, Japanese encephalitis, does it sound familiar? These mosquitoes have the ability to infect an individual and even cause deathly diseases or even the result of death around the community. How does it work? Well, the virus develops and multiples inside the mosquito. Once the mosquito multiplies and carries the virus, the infected mosquito then transmits the virus through its saliva when it bites another uninfected host, such as a human-being. They additionally spread pathogens through these awful bites. Apart from that, serious or fatal mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, which is caused by a parasite could be extremely perilous due to the life-threatening parasite making the red blood cells more fragile, which gradually shortens the life span of an individual.

Tips on How to Reduce the Risk of Infectious Transmissions 

   With the severity of these infectious cases, tons of individuals wonder how to prevent the spread of diseases efficiently and effectively throughout their area and how to eliminate them gradually over time, not bringing up another “out-of-control” pandemic. Thus, hygiene plays a pivotal role for both direct and indirect contact transmission of diseases. The frequent saying of washing hands, keeping up with the respiratory etiquette, and vaccinations is indeed effective in order to minimise the cases of infections. Remember to keep in mind that it is also evident to cover your mouth or make use of a face mask when you ever get sick to avoid any further transmissions in a close vicinity such as trains, rooms and et cetera. 

Bibliography :

1. https://www.healthline.com/health/disease-transmission

2. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7462404/

3. https://www.sahealth.sa.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/public+content/sa+health+internet/conditions/infectious+diseases/ways+infectious+diseases+spread

4. https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/

5. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/index.html#:~:text=Mosquitoes%20can%20spread%20pathogens%20(germs,can%20bite%20day%20and%20night.

6. https://www.dshs.texas.gov/mosquito-borne-diseases/list-mosquito-borne-diseases#:~:text=Malaria%20is%20a%20serious%20and,parasite%20spread%20by%20infected%20mosquitoes.

7. https://www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/guideline_prevention_of_communicable_diseases_rchd.pdf