A Study on Spread & Symptoms of COVID-19 in India

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a non-segmented positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus which originated as a mysterious virus causing a pneumonia-like outbreak in China and has caused widespread havoc all across the world since 2020. Ever since then researchers have carried out extensive research to study its genomic sequences, develop new vaccines for its treatment to prevent the spread of this virus and help us return to normalcy. However, till now the virus has undergone several mutations to evolve into new strains with increased transmissibility. In this study, we have analyzed the spread and symptoms of COVID-19 in India. We conducted an online survey through google forms to analyze the spread and symptoms of COVID-19 in India during first two waves. Out of the total response received, 47.0% were infected with COVID-19. Common symptoms experienced by the respondents were fever and fatigue, headache, loss of taste or smell and muscle or joint pain. Out of the total infected people, 25.31% of them reported having an underlying medical condition, diabetes being most common. The majority of COVID-19 positive patients were infected during the peak of the second wave. Most people experienced mild to moderate symptoms. However, people with comorbidities showed a higher incidence of moderate to severe symptoms and they took longer to recover. Many respondents also mentioned a negative impact on their mental health due to COVID-19.