Note: Your progress in watching these videos WILL NOT be tracked. These training videos are the same videos you will experience when you take the full Coronavirus COVID-19 Level 2 (VTQ) program. You may begin the training for free at any time to start officially tracking your progress toward your certificate of completion.
January 2021 marked one year since the emergence of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom. Over this time, significant knowledge about the virus and its epidemiology has been gained.
Vaccines are currently being administered nationwide, offering hope in the fight against the virus. However, challenges remain as new, more transmissible strains have emerged.
New strains of the virus have been identified, with some proving to be 50-70% more transmissible than the original strain. While severity of illness may not increase, a larger number of people are at risk of contracting COVID-19.
Coronavirus primarily spreads through respiratory droplets expelled when breathing. The virus targets specific cells in the lungs, necessitating inhalation for infection to occur.
New strains exhibit advantageous mutations, allowing quicker entry into target cells, reducing the body's ability to destroy the virus before infection.
The main symptoms of COVID-19 include continuous coughing, fever, and loss of smell and taste. Complications such as pneumonia can arise, particularly in individuals with pre-existing conditions like type 2 diabetes or COPD.
The long-term societal and individual effects of COVID-19 remain unknown and will only become clearer over time.
