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There are so many inspiring stories of women at the forefront of the fight against COVID 19. Some have taken the initiative independently and while others have used their position in official government positions. One such shining example is female IAS Officer and recently-retired Union Health Secretary, Preeti Sudan. Between June 2019 and July 2020, she served in her post and her time in the position had to deal with the outbreak of the ongoing pandemic. As part of her responsibilities, she led the way when it came to sharing key information with the entire country about the virus when little was known about it and it was just beginning to spread.

Faced with a challenging situation, the ex-Health Secretary shouldered some very important responsibilities and was always leading from the front. Her job was three-pronged. First, she had to create a strategy to tackle the outbreak effectively and in coordination with the Prime Minister's Office to ensure that the unavoidable outbreak of the virus would be contained as effectively as possible while minimizing the damage it would cause across the country. Looking at the number of cases that were reported within the first two months, it was clear that she had successfully dealt with the task at hand. For example, she created the zoning system which helped identify the level of infections within every area in each city. She also created protocols for restricted travel during the early days of the outbreak.

As more and more people joined the fight at the forefront against COVID-19, Preeti Sudan was one of the many inspirational women in India who were more than up for the challenge. She comforted the nation at a time when it was a delicate situation as migrant workers were heading back to their hometown and there was a mass exodus of people from bigger cities. Through regular and effective press briefing, she was not only able to give important and necessary updates to the entire country but also ease the fears of the people. Her calm and confident nature saw her deal with common and frequently asked questions comfortably and with positivity. If that is not the definition of a woman warrior, then what is?

Finally, she used her position to ensure the containment of the outbreak within as small an area as possible within the states. She was continuously in touch with officers in every state who was in charge of dealing with the outbreak and she was very proactive in ensuring that all the departments were executing their tasks in the best way possible. As the Union Health Secretary, she used her powers to oversee the execution of such tasks personally for every state emerging as one of the key women leaders in our country. She acted as the first and most important point of contact for all disease-related queries that were directed at the government by both, the media and the general public.

The former Health Secretary has a very rich educational background. She holds a Master's degree in Economic Philosophy and a doctorate in Economics from the prestigious London School of Economics. Her drive to serve the country saw her rise from the Andhra cadre as one of the early women IAS officers in the country. Her service to the nation saw her serve several positions including Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence and a Special Secretary in the Ministry of Women and Child Development. One of her most recent positions was as a Secretary in the Department of Food and Public Distribution. She was also at the forefront of dealing with the Kerala floods in 2019 and her action drew her high praises from all sections of the government.

The entire world is dealing with a virus called COVID-19 or Coronavirus. The question on everyone's minds is what this virus does to the body. Covid-19 typically affects the respiratory system and causes symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath. The virus works by getting inside the cells your body and then hijacks them.

One of the critical things to bear in mind with this virus is that at an early stage, you may not get sick and that some people do not even detect symptoms. The time between infection and first symptoms appearing varies, but typically it's five to seven days on average. According to the World Health Organisation, common symptoms include fever, tiredness, a dry cough, shortness of breath, body aches, sore throat, and very few people will report diarrhea, nausea, or a runny nose.

When the virus enters your system, usually beginning in the back of the throat, they multiply infecting the neighboring cells. Once it reaches and damages the lungs, it becomes difficult for the lungs to perform their main functions and supply oxygen to the blood that travels throughout the body. The virus multiplies in the respiratory tract and can cause a range of symptoms, according to Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, who heads the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme. "You have mild cases, which look like the common cold, which have some respiratory symptoms, sore throat, runny nose, fever, all the way through pneumonia. There can be varying levels of severity of pneumonia all the way through multi-organ failure and death," she told reporters in Geneva on February 7 according to a report on Aljazeera.

It is important to do whatever is possible to prevent this virus from entering your bodies. WHO has provided a list of guidelines to be followed, and even though they may seem basic, it is very important to follow them. These include washing your hands with water and soap or using an alcohol-based hand rub, avoid touching your face with your hands, covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough, and maintaining social distancing.

While everyone isn't an expert and can only follow the advice given, we do have some of you interested in a career in health and who want to know more about how the human body works. The course on Essential Human Biology: Cells and Tissues provides a foundation in human anatomy and physiology. The course gives you an understanding of the relationships between typical structure and the function in human cells and tissues. What's more, it employs several engaging learning methods, including videos, animations, interactive activities, and quizzes to help guide you through key concepts and helps make learning relevant. So, if you do decide to take this course, you'll get knowledge of the structure and function of human cells and tissues. You'll understand basic human anatomy and physiology and you will be able to prepare yourself for a career in health.