Disease Control and Prevention

Article 1 

The article Estimation of Coronavirus Disease Case-Fatality Risk in Real Time focused on calculating the case fatality risk for Corona virus. Considering that the article aimed at real time estimations, the author focused on using different parameters that would help in the provision of adequate and accurate information. The main objective of the authors in the article is to define the most appropriate method that would be used to make correct estimation of case fatality risks in real time. The increased rates of transmission of the disease, which is an aspect that increases the rates of fatalities create the need estimate the case fatality risk in real time. The key aspects of consideration when making the estimations include residual uncertainties from misdiagnosed cases of Covid-19 and the exponential growth of the curve associated with the disease (Ge & Sun, 2020). The article analyzed the number of infections, the recovered cases, and the fatalities.

To obtain the required information in the study, the authors of the article capitalized on the use of a research design that would help in the provision of information that is necessary for the completion of the study. The main research design used by the researcher is the simulation study design. The research design focused on undertaking different experiments with aim of obtaining the desired and most appropriate information that is relevant in the study. The simulation study enabled the researcher to analyze different parameters that are significant for the study. The main parameter used in the study incorporated of prior studies that relevant to the study. In that case, the authors of the article analyzed a wide range of studies that focused on defining various methods that could be used to calculate fatality risk for the Covid-19 disease. Considering the complex nature of study, the researcher capitalized on using a research design that is significant when addressing such cases that involves real time investigations.

In the study, it is evident that a meta-analysis approach was used as part of the process to capitalize on the relevance of information concerning the most appropriate method that would be used to calculate and estimate the case fatality risk among the Covid-19 patients. Although the study focused more on a scientific approach, the use of survey was a significant aspect considering that the authors analyzed different aspects that concern number of infections, the recoveries, and the fatalities. The survey process in this case focused studying the patients with current infections and those that recovered from the disease. The research capitalized on making proper analysis of the information from existing studies to ensure that the study did not face any kind of errors or discrepancies. Based on the nature of the study and the methods implemented helped in reducing the possibilities of any kinds of flaws on the nature of conclusions made for the study.

Article that uses Descriptive Epidemiology 

The article Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of 99 Cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in Wuhan, China: A Descriptive Study focused on the analysis of the relationship between Covid-19 and pneumonia. The main objective of the study involved making a clarification on the clinical characteristic of the condition by engaging in a retrospective study. According to the article, the fact that Covid-19 is a virus disease that can cause multiple system infections, it is necessary to analyze the key characteristics that may associated with pneumonia, which is also a respiratory tract infection. The study involved the implementation of a retrospective study that focused on patients at a hospital in Wuhan, China. The most important aspect mentioned in the article is that the hospital specializes in infectious disease, thus making it a suitable platform to undertake the study. The researcher focused on the use of patients that had been diagnosed with Covid-19.

The study involved the use of medical records of the patient, which is an aspect that helped in making proper analysis and conclusions regarding the study. The results of the study indicated that out of the total population selected for the study, 49 people with 2019-nCoV pneumonia had a history of being exposed to Huanan seafood market. The main clinical manifestations among the patients involved fever, shortness of breath, diarrhea, and headache. Approximately 75% of the total number of patients selected had signs of bilateral pneumonia, which is an aspect that was discovered upon undertaking imaging examination. The findings of the study further indicate that 17% of the patient developed severe respiratory distress because of the 2019-nCoV pneumonia (Chen et al., 2020). Additionally, 11% of the select study population experienced a worsened case within a short time thus contributing to multiple organ failure resulting to death of the patients. The authors in this case interpreted the study mentioning that 2019-nCoV pneumonia has a relatively high mortality rate considering that the combination of major characteristics of the disease results in organ failure.

Article that uses Analytic Epidemiology 

In the article Clinical and Epidemiological Features of 36 Children with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Zhejiang, China: An Observational Cohort Study , the authors capitalized on making an analysis of different features that concerns the coronavirus disease. The article capitalizes on the provision of background information regarding the coronavirus disease mentioning the fact that the virus is a positive-stranded RNA virus that has a protein envelop. The authors mentioned that Covid-19 disease relates to a major outbreak known as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that took place in 2003. The outbreak of the SARS is associated with the development of severe cases of pneumonia that originate from Wuhan in China (Qiu et al., 2020). The article provides a close relation between pneumonia and Covid-19 considering the characteristics and the presentation of each condition. Additionally, the fact that each clinical condition relates to SARS is an aspect that presents the connection between the given aspects.

The study design used in this study involved making observations among the pediatric patients with confirmed Covid-19 disease. The study design played a vital role in examining the epidemiological and clinical features of the patients to draw appropriate conclusions regarding the presentation of the disease. The results from the study indicated that majority of the population selected for the study presented mild and moderate signs and symptoms associated with Covid-19. The researcher mentioned that the was a large population of asymptomatic children, which is an aspect that created a major challenge in having clear epidemiological information. The poor presentation of signs and symptoms of Covid-19 among patients is a factor that contributes to increasing the vulnerability of community acquired infections. The article discovered that most of the asymptomatic children could be disguised as people who did not have the disease considering that they did not present any signs.

Comparison of the Research Designs used in the Articles 

The study design used in the research articles differed considering that each of the article focused on meeting the set objectives. In the article that used descriptive epidemiology, the main objective involved describing the distributions of Covid-19 focusing different determinants in the study. In that case the authors focused on a study approach that helped towards achieving the set objective of the study. In the article that used analytic epidemiology, the objective was to measure the key association between exposure to certain conditions and the development and presentation of the condition. The authors in this case focused on observation as a primary research method that helped to obtain relevant information that would be used in the study. Although, the research design differed, it is important to note the fact that the designs helped in obtaining the desired information that concerned the Covid-19.

Summary of Recommendations 

The process of engaging human participants requires the implementation of proper measures that ensures that no human right is violated. The different studies that relate to disease control, it is important to note that human subjects as used as variable to examine various aspects that concerns the study. It is important to focus on a set of recommendations that helps to deal with the human subjects in a study. When focusing on the scope and the structure of oversight system it is necessary to capitalize on the protection of the rights and welfare of the human participants in a study. The federal legislation should focus on creating an independent office with the ability to deal with the enactment of rights of the human participants in different researches. On the aspect of the level of review, it is necessary to focus on a policy that reviews standards and procedures that are necessary for reducing the risks that may be faced by human participants.

When dealing with certification and accreditation, it is important for the institutions sponsoring researches with human participants to focus on the provision of educational programs that educates the researchers on the need to maintain ethical considerations in different kinds of researches (National Bioethics Advisory Commission, 2005). The government should focus on creating partnerships with academic and professional bodies, which is an aspect that helps to promote the protection of human participants in study. The Institutional Review Board should capitalize on the implementation of proper measures for the researcher who use human subjects in the study.

References 

Chen, N., Zhou, M., Dong, X., Qu, J., Gong, F., Han, Y. ... & Yu, T. (2020). Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study.  The Lancet ,  395 (10223), 507-513.

Ge, Y., & Sun, S. (2020). Estimation of coronavirus disease case-fatality risk in real time. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (8), 1-5. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/8/20-1096-f1

National Bioethics Advisory Commission. (2005). Ethical and policy issues in research involving human participants. Volume I: report and recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory. 2001.  Rules, Reasons, and Norms , 378-401.

Qiu, H., Wu, J., Hong, L., Luo, Y., Song, Q., & Chen, D. (2020). Clinical and epidemiological features of 36 children with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Zhejiang, China: an observational cohort study.  The Lancet Infectious Diseases , 1(1), 1-7.