Enida Xhaferi, Fatbardha Lamaj, Klejda Tani, Florjan Risilia
Background. An outbreak of severe pneumonia cases was reported in the province of Wuhan, China in December 2019. Samples from infected patients were analyzed and a novel betacoronavirus, named 2019-nCoV was isolated in human epithelial cells. The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses renamed the new virus: SARS-CoV-2, due to similarities with the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), and the disease that it causes was termed COVID-19 by the WHO.
Members of the Coronaviridae family are enveloped, single-stranded RNA viruses, that can be isolated in different species (bats, livestock, mice, humans etc). These viruses, which manage to transverse species, can cause human diseases ranging from the common cold to more severe pathologies. Two important viruses of this family are SARS-CoV (causing the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome/SARS infection) which triggered a large-scale epidemic, with 800 deaths, and MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome/MERS infection) that provoked an outbreak with 800 deaths, which started in the Arabic Peninsula.
The novel and contagious infection spread quickly around the world, and on March 11, 2020, the WHO, announced COVID-19 global pandemic.
Objective. This abstract aims to report the impact of COVID 19 in Albania and describe some of the measures taken by the Government to cope with this disease.
Methods. Data from the Ministry of Health and Institute of Public Health were reviewed and analyzed. The demographic distribution of active cases as of May 20, 2020 was mapped, and disease progress and impact examined and visualized.
Results. The first confirmed case of COVID 19 in Albania was reported in March 9, 2020. Since then, a total of 964 individuals have been infected with SARS-CoV-2. 79% of patients have recovered (758 cases). There have been 31 deaths in these three months of pandemic and currently there are 175 active cases. The Government took swift measures to reduce transmission and contain the spread of infection. Some of these measures are: shifting online university and school classes, closing restaurants and bars, stopping public gatherings, applying travel restrictions and placing the population under lockdown. These measures are being gradually removed.
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