As we are all following up the updates of Novel Coronavirus 2019 outbreak (COVID-19), the World Health Organization (WHO) continues to address its impacts at the global level.
Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that are common among animals. In rare cases, they are what scientists call zoonotic, meaning they can be transmitted from animals to humans. Early on, many of the patients in Wuhan, China, had some link to a large seafood and live animal market, suggesting animal-to-person spread. Later, a growing number of patients reportedly did not have exposure to animal markets, indicating person-to-person spread.
Unfortunately, such viruses can infect people, causing a mild to moderate upper respiratory tract illness, similar to a common cold. In addition, the elderly and the very young might go for much more serious respiratory tract illness like a pneumonia or bronchitis, which can end with severe acute respiratory syndrome, ICU admission and high mortality. According to recent reports, some 75,000 are now infected worldwide, with some 2,000 deaths in China. Looking at the information, I clearly believe that despite all intervention and control activities, the coronavirus has already spread to a significantly higher extent.
May be we need to go back to the virus transmissibility, which have been expressed by WHO as a reproduction number, of between 1.4 and 2.5. In fact, a reproduction number is a measurement of how many people a contaminated person transmits the virus to in a previously healthy population. The higher the number, the more transferable the virus is and the higher the risk for rapid spread. Hence, anyone could try checking it and keep in mind that when the reproduction number falls below 1.0, the epidemic is likely to die out.
Nevertheless, there is no known cure, and researches and scientists are eager to help those with the disease, but scientists caution that only carefully conducted trials will determine which measures work. Sadly, there is no vaccine to protect against this family of viruses, at least not yet.
WHO and related organisations are working on a vaccine against the new virus, but it will be months until clinical trials get under way and more than a year until it might become available. The Ministry of Health, in cooperation with related international organisations, has prepared a clear plan and taken measures to handle any cases.
As individuals, we must adhere to and follow the health guidelines from the ministry and avoid travelling to or near the affected places. Also, reduce your risk of infection by avoiding people who are sick. Try to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Wash your hands often with soap and water. Interestingly, awareness is key here, you should let a healthcare provider know if you feel that you got infected and seek treatment early.
At end, right now countries are relying on measures like quarantine and isolation, hoping that they’re enough to beat back the outbreak. If those don’t succeed, the virus might transition from being the cause of a temporary epidemic outbreak to one that causes a new circulating disease. I know this could be a panic phase in such countries, but health organisations are working together, continuing with investment into the development of vaccines, recognising that we are not starting from scratch.
Dr Yousuf Ali al mulla, MD, Ministry of Health, is a medical innovator and educator. For any queries regarding the content of the column, he can be contacted at: dryusufalmulla@gmail.com.
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