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Emergency management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks, particularly those that have catastrophic consequences for communities, regions or entire countries. There are four stages of Emergency Management: (Source: Knovel)

1. Prevention
2. Preparedness
3. Response
4. Recovery

1. Prevention

Prevention involves taking actions to protect yourself and your community from getting and spreading respiratory illnesses like COVID-19. Everyone has a role to play. There are 3 types of prevention methods – primary, secondary and tertiary.

Primary prevention

Primary prevention includes research designed to promote health and identification of risk factors for developing a new health condition.

Here are two articles relevant to early detection of coronavirus:

• A TaqMan-probe-based multiplex real-time RT-qPCR for simultaneous detection of porcine enteric coronaviruses, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (June 2019)
• Detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nucleocapsid protein in human serum using a localized surface plasmon coupled fluorescence fiber-optic biosensor, Biosensors and Bioelectronics (October 2009)

There are relevant articles for coronavirus prevention:

• Asymptomatic novel coronavirus pneumonia patient outside Wuhan: The value of CT images in the course of the disease, Clinical Imaging (July 2020)
• Biopolymeric nano/microspheres for selective and reversible adsorption of coronaviruses, Materials Science and Engineering C (July 2017)
• Generating stable Chinese hamster ovary cell clones to produce a truncated SARS-CoV spike protein for vaccine development, Biotechnology Progress (November 2010)
• ASTM standards used in the production and testing of personal protective equipment (temporary open access by ASTM International)

Here is more related content generated by Engineering Village, a platform offering access to 13 engineering literature and patent databases:

• Protective Gear, part 1
• Protective Gear, part 2
• Detection Technologies, part 1
• Detection Technologies, part 2
• Coronavirus Research

Secondary prevention

Secondary prevention aims to reduce the impact of a disease. An engineering approach to deactivation of virus may involve Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation (UVGI). UVGI uses short-wave Ultraviolet (UVC) energy to inactivate viral, bacterial and fungal organisms so they are unable to replicate and potentially cause disease. For potential applications of UVC to control microorganisms in air and on surface, see our guide on UV Surface Treatments.

Tertiary prevention

This is a long-term measure. The control of microorganisms is an important concern in preventing contamination as well as removing or reducing it when it occurs. In the current scenario, an immediate measure to prevent this disease from spreading beyond control is focusing on personal hygiene and PPE to avoid further spread of coronavirus.

2. Preparedness for emergencies

Preparedness is a continuous cycle of planning, organizing, training, equipping, exercising, evaluating, and taking corrective action. These elements are the cornerstones of preparedness and focus on readiness to respond to incidents and emergencies.

Preparedness minimizes the adverse effects of hazards through precautionary measures that ensure a timely, appropriate and efficient organization and delivery of response and relief action. The goals of disaster preparedness include knowing what to do in a disaster’s aftermath, knowing how

to it, and being equipped with the right tools and information to act effectively.

Information on preparedness can be accessed via Knovel with free registration:

• Preparedness, Chapter 5, Introduction to International Disaster Management, 3^rd Edition (Elsevier 2015)
• Disaster Planning and Emergency Management, Chapter 10, HVAC Design Manual for Hospitals and Clinics, 2nd Edition (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc, ASHRAE, 2013)
• Specialized Emergency Planning, Pandemics, Chapter 5, How to Write an Emergency Plan (Dunedin Press, 2016)

3. Emergency response

Emergency response involves the management of resources, including personnel, equipment and supplies and implementation of an Incident Command System in an all-hazards approach. The response phase is a reaction to the occurrence of a catastrophic disaster. Information related to preparedness can be accessed here:

• Time Is A Murderer. The Cost of Critical Path Drag In Emergency Response, Chapter 21, Handbook of Emergency Response — A Human Factors and Systems Engineering Approach (Taylor & Francis, 2014)

4. Emergency recovery

Recovery activities continue beyond the emergency period and focus on restoring critical functions to stabilize operations and increase capacity to serve their community after a disaster. The goal of the recovery phase is to bring the affected area back to some degree of normalcy as soon as possible. The focus of communications efforts in the recovery phase of a disaster is on providing timely information about the types of relief assistance available to the individuals and communities victimized by the disaster and how they can access this assistance.

Pharma industry news

Chemtiva provides the latest business news on novel coronavirus, from vaccine development to resumption of business activities in China.

Here are a few recent items:

• Covalon announces new breakthrough antimiocrobial technology formulated to kill the COVID-19 virus (BioSpace, Mar 31, 2020)
• Tsinghua University, 3rd People’s Hospital of Shenzhen and Brii Biosciences Establish Partnership to Develop Neutralizing Antibodies Against COVID-19 (BioSpace, Mar 31, 2020)

Chemtiva also has the latest research on COVID-19, much of which is freely available. You can find more freely available coronavirus research in Elsevier’s Novel Coronavirus Information Center, including 20,000+ articles on ScienceDirect.