Clinical Epidemiology
Abdel-Hady El-Gilany
Abstract
Background: Disease, illness, and sickness are all overlapping terms that are not entirely synonymous. Illness, disease, and sickness all characterize different aspects of morbidity and must be treated as distinct entities. Changes in one aspect may have no bearing on changes in another. Despite their ...
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Background: Disease, illness, and sickness are all overlapping terms that are not entirely synonymous. Illness, disease, and sickness all characterize different aspects of morbidity and must be treated as distinct entities. Changes in one aspect may have no bearing on changes in another. Despite their widespread use, these terms are used incorrectly and ambiguously, leading to confusion in the representation of medical knowledge. Medical personnel and epidemiologists misuse these terms, and there is little literature on the subject.Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were used to conduct a literature search. The search terms "definition," "disease," "illness," "sickness," "morbidity," "syndrome," "disorder," "predisease," and "co-morbidity" were used in various combinations. A manual search was conducted in public health, community medicine, and epidemiology textbooks. The review included the most recent and relevant literature.Results: This mini review summarizes the definition, limitations, overlap, and differences between disease, illness, and sickness, as well as other related terms.Conclusion: A measurable operational definition of disease, illness, sickness, and other related terms that is appropriate for epidemiologists and clinicians and applicable in both hospital and community settings is required.and community settings.
COVID-19
Sarah Cuschieri; Tamara Attard Mallia; Elaine Piscopo; Anneka Pace; Daniela Chatlani; Karl Mifsud; Nicole Mifsud; Jake Vella; Andrea Cuschieri
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 has impacted the European microstates of Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, the Republic of San Marino, and Vatican City. Even though they have similar population sizes, they are rarely studied. The goal was to summarize the COVID-19 situation (January 2020–July 2021) for ...
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Background: COVID-19 has impacted the European microstates of Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, the Republic of San Marino, and Vatican City. Even though they have similar population sizes, they are rarely studied. The goal was to summarize the COVID-19 situation (January 2020–July 2021) for these microstates, as well as the outcome and immunization roll-out throughout the first 18 months. While researching COVID-19 incidence and mortality trends among microstates and their land bordering nations,Methods: Epidemiological data was gathered from the database "Our World in Data," whereas COVID-19-related tactics were based on Ministry of Health webpages and local newspapers. Using COVID-19 data (where applicable), the six microstates and their adjacent nations were compared.Results: From the start of COVID-19 until August 1, 2021, the microstates reported a total of 60,174 positive cases and 730 deaths. Andorra had the greatest rates of COVID-19 infection (190 per 1,000) and mortality (1.66 per 1,000). The microstates had similar COVID-19 results, but their bordering nations shared the most striking similarities. COVID-19 cases, fatality rates, and vaccine doses all have a bidirectional link.Conclusion: Whether land borders exist, timely mitigation measures and vaccination rollouts appear to be the keys to pandemic containment. The greatest pandemic impact on a country, however, appears to be dependent on cross-border transmission rates.
