Question

Assume you are a public health research officer investigating a disease outbreak, and you must determine an appropriate sample for a given population. What method would you use? Why would you choose that method?

Answer 1

Outbreaks or epidemics are very rare in the world but they do occur. It is very important to properly analyze the situation of the outbreak during the outbreak and also after it is over because it will give a very proper knowledge of the whole thing and it will help to curb it if it happens in future too.

• There are many steps to be followed to determine the appropriate sample.
• First of all the field work has to be done and all the ground realities have to be analysed.
• There is the existence of the outbreak has to be fixed first, it is possible that there is panic in the people and sometimes diseases which may be cured are tagged as epidemics.
• The diagnosis has to be verified to know if it is done properly or not.
• A proper case has to be constructed to know each and every aspect of the situation.
• After proper construction of the case it has to be documented and records need to be maintained systematically.
• All the ways to curb the epidemics has to be taken so as it is under control and not spreading further.

An epidemic or outbreak has many aspect as above to be studied and analysed. There are series of systems and steps to be followed to know the correctness and proper understanding of the situation. Therefore, being a public health research officer one cannot get the correctness of the situation only by following any one or few of the steps, so as per my knowledge all of the above steps need to be followed and adhered to wisely.