|| ISSN(online): 2589-8698 || ISSN(print): 2589-868X || International Journal of Medical and Biomedical Studies Available Online at www.ijmbs.info NLM (National Library of Medicine ID: 101738825) Index Copernicus Value 2018: 75.71 Review Article Volume 4, Issue 6; June: 2020; Page No. 82-83 82 | Page RISK FACTORS OF COVID 19 TRANSMISSION IN CHOLERA ENDEMIC COUNTRIES Chandrika Murugaiah 1* Liew Sat Lin Constance 1 , Hassanain Al-Talib 2 , Mehru Nisha 3 , Tunung Robin 4 , Tuan Zainazor Tuan Chilek 5 , Atif Amin Baig 6 , Rhanye Mac Guad 1 , May Zaw Soe 1 , Abm Tofazzal Hossain 1 , Falah Abbas Mohamad Salih 1 , Mustafa al Shagga 7 1 Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah 2 Laboratory Medical Science Cluster, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) 3 Clinical Laboratory Science Section, University Kuala Lumpur 4 Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus 5 Faculty of Fisheries and Food Science, University Malaysia Terengganu 6 Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Sultan Zainal Abidin 7 University of Nottingham Malaysia Article Info: Received 18 May 2020; Accepted 11 June 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.32553/ijmbs.v4i6.1204 Corresponding author: Chandrika Murugaiah Conflict of interest: No conflict of interest. Abstract COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing deaths, illnesses and economic despair. The least developed countries have limited or lack of medicine, ventilators, beds, water electricity, availability of doctors’ service for a large population and facing challenges to handle the economic fallout of the crisis. Cholera patients are more likely to reside in a slum, and this triggers worries with higher infection and spread chances if they were to be contracted with coronavirus. Decrease maternal education and reduce family income could increase cholera risk in rural children. Low Socioeconomic status, clean water supply and limited healthcare facilities may pose risks of covid spread. Should an awareness and knowledge of covid 19 in cholera endemic setting is developed, it is the residents of poor nation that stand to benefit the most. Introduction Since mid-December 2019, an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus cases of a pneumonia-like disease have emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, linked to a zoonotic transmission from a seafood and animal market [1]. By Mac 2020, the virus has spread to 210 countries and territories around the world. Older people and those with underlying medical problems like cardiovascular disease are badly affected [2]. The virus spreads through droplets of saliva, coughs or sneezes [3]. Infected people showed symptoms like fever, difficulty in breathing, cough and invasive lesions on both lungs [4]. Phylogenetic analysis relates this virus with the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)- coronavirus clade, closely related to bat coronaviruses, pangolin coronaviruses, and SARS-CoV [5]. Protection from infection is mainly by hands washing or using an alcohol based rub frequently as no specific vaccines or treatments for COVID [6]. Threat of Covid 19 in cholera endemic countries Covid 19 is to be a highly contagious threat in cholera endemic countries such East Africa corridor, and countries in Northwest Africa because of less of poor clean water supply, medical supplies and facilities. Despite awareness created by WHO there has been no concrete global improvement to limit transmission rate, imposing a major public health problem worldwide. Although there has been a movement control these ban to remain long is impossible. Low-income countries are facing major challenges as covid testing is expensive. Because of the lack of test kit, predicting the patterns of covid outbreaks could not be possibly achieved. Maintaining overall good personal hygiene, wearing mask and washing hands with clean water seems to be challenge for poor. In slum areas, physical distancing measures are almost impossible. Self- quarantine is impossible in slum area or people living in camps. Ways need to be figured out on how to self- quarantine infected people and how to protect someone with COVID-19 in these setting. Highly contagious cholera happen in densely populated and economically reduced areas where V. cholerae is transmitted through the feces of an infected person. These are the high risk areas of covid 19 spread, due to poor hygiene practice, inadequate sanitary facility and limitation to access to clean water supply. There are major limitations in the standard and adequate health care system in rural and poor resource countries, where a lack of medicine, ventilators, beds, water and electricity and shortages of doctors are very common. In the mid of covid crisis, there is no ways to improve the water or electricity and