Preface

For nearly a year, our lives have changed like never before. After attacking Iran and Italy, the center of the pandemic that started in China moved to Europe and the Americas. This pandemic, which healthcare professionals and other organizations all over the world have tried to overcome, will be on our agenda in the coming months and maybe years.

In order to overcome the pandemic with minimal losses, the scientific community, healthcare facilities, professional organizations, chambers, and state institutions should work in coordination and unison. The healthcare system of some countries has passed the exam since the beginning of the epidemic and has tried to do its best to mitigate the catastrophe in a very efficient organization with all medical branches, nurses, and adjunctive health services.

Herein, we have written a book to provide scientific support to these efforts as a whole, to help the public, our patients, and their relatives, and to shed light on future strategies in this manner. In this book, we tried to explain many basic points from case examples to the main principles we follow in diagnosis and treatment, real scenarios in the course of the disease, issues that need attention in specific groups, i.e., those with comorbidities, the elderly, newborns, children, and pregnant women. The spread of the disease in the world and its future predictions also found a place. We also welcome your criticism.

We should all realize that COVID-19 is not the last pandemic. It is obvious that there will be new generations and our long years to spend with masks, sanitizers, and hand disinfectants. It is important in the long run to encourage selective admissions to health institutions and not let the hospitals be overwhelmed by the disastrous situation.

The education of pre-school and school children and women plays a key role in increasing family awareness. Concretizing the virus infection, which is an abstract danger, at a level that will change the lives of people will require serious pedagogical effort and organizational skills. Non-governmental organizations should try to plan in the long term in cooperation with the government and professional chambers.

Our wish is that this book will help both our patients and their relatives, as well as healthcare professionals, who sustain health with their efforts day and night.

Wishing a healthy society and a healthy global future.