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Türkiye’s Fight Against COVID-19 Pandemic

concern. Following the recommendations of the Emergency Committee, the
World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the outbreak constitutes
a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Later,
following consultations and cooperation with the World Organization for
Animal Health (OIE), and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
UN (FAO), the WHO named the disease as “COVID-19” which stands for
“Coronavirus Disease 2019”. On 11 March 2020, the WHO announced that
COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic due to its alarming level of
spread around the world. 2
The common respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough
and shortness of breath. The more severe cases result in symptoms such as
pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure and even death.
The virus is primarily spread via small droplets. It is also spread through
touching a contaminated surface and then touching mouth, nose or eye
mucosa. The incubation period for the virus is 2-14 days. 3

According to the findings obtained about the COVID-19 so far, some
people appear to be at higher risk of catching the disease and developing severe
symptoms. People over 60 are more susceptible to the virus. Also, those who
have serious chronic illnesses as well as the health professionals are among
the risky groups. 80% of COVID-19 cases recover with mild symptoms while
20% of the infected cases are treated at the hospitals. Based on the COVID-19
Report of China, WHO reported the case fatality rate as 3,8%. 4
2. Planning and Coordination

th
In the 20 century, three worldwide pandemics of influenza occurred. The
most severe one among them was the 1918 influenza pandemic, also known as
the Spanish flu. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 20 million
worldwide while about half million deaths occurring in the United States.

2 https://www.seyahatsagligi.gov.tr/Site/koronavirus Access Date: 03/05/2020
3 COVID19 (SARSCoV2 Enfeksiyonu) Rehberi, Bilim Kurulu Çalışması, Sağlık Bakanlığı Halk
Sağlığı Genel Müdürlüğü, https://covid19bilgi.saglik.gov.tr/depo/rehberler/COVID19_Rehberi.
pdf, Access Date: 03/05/2020
4 https://www.seyahatsagligi.gov.tr/Site/koronavirus Access Date: 03/05/2020

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