A tiny virus of 80-120 nm
has taken the whole world by storm, smashing the human race, changing the face
and fate of the world. It is unbelievable that humans are succumbing to death
as flies, falling dead as zombies, that too in days. Watch out !!!. It is not a
sci-fi thriller or horror movie or teleseries like the Matrix, Jurassic
Park, Contagion, Ezhaam arivu (In Tamil meaning Seventh
Sense), My Secret Terrius nor imaginative novels like ‘The Eyes of Darkness”
or ‘End of Days’, but its real
and worse, as played out in the real world, where you and me live. There is a
thin line or border between imagination and intuition, the intuitions turning
predictive, that the novels and movies of authors and directors/ script
writers become a fatal reality.
The ghost town of Wuhan, where
the novel Corona virus, COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 originated, is limping back to
normalcy, so also is the mainland of China. There are many theories, (or
conspiracies?) of who was responsible for the pandemic, how it originated and
why. But than indulging in the blame game, countries are imposing stringent
measures to contain the spread of the deadly corona virus, which is wreaking
havoc and pandemonium. Whether the product of natural recombination in bats or
pangolins, whether jumped from the live animal market of Wuhan to humans due to
the unconventional eating habits of a section of the globe or the evil plot of an
aspiring-to-be super power, to subdue a rebellious population of its 'colony of
the past', or a bio-weapon of the biological warfare, the powerful ‘tiny
giant’ has by now infected more than 5.59 lakh people killing nearly 25,278 people
(hours back it was 5.2 lakh infected with 23,623 deaths), the figures expected
only to go up and accelerate, till vaccines or curative drugs are developed. The
World health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19 outbreak as Public Health
Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). A case of 20 trilllion dollars has
been filed against China for suppressing and misrepresenting facts.
Transparency on the actual state-of-affairs instead of hiding and false projections,
would have given time for other countries to prepare, take precautions and
prophylactic emergency measures, to save their people, and their nations from turning into mass graves
The world is locked down
for the fear of exponential spread of the pandemic. All-time-busy-for-no-reason
world has halted. Time to take a break and stop for reflections and
introspections as to whither to? Death lurking at doorstep? The enemies are not
armed soldiers with nuclear weapons, nor are they with animosity for a specific
reason. They are just assembly of biomolecules, obligate parasites, looking for
vulnerable hosts and invisible to the naked eye. There is no respect for
national/ international borders, for the virus. The virus does differentiate between region, religion, race, colour, class, culture, sex, status or wealth. The rich and the peasant are equally affected. The virus just needs a living human host.They may be lurking everywhere, but the fatal effect
of their attack revealed only when it is too late. For the first time, extreme,
draconian rules, even worst than those during world wars are imposed to contain the virus, which has resulted in restrictions on movements of people and disruption of daily activities in the whole globe. It is not together we are going to defeat the virus, but in isolation, by
distancing from one-another and following the social distancing diligently and
responsibly. Thanks to the internet or world wide web. We are very much
connected in the virtual/digital world, knowing what is going on in the world, sitting in our private space. E-governance without physical involvement is also possible.Adjusting to lockdown life may be easy for the younger generations since they were already isolated from the rest of the world with the availability of mobiles with access to internet and the virtual world of social media.
Lock downs for a short
period may backfire. Complacency sets in as the moratorium is lifted., the
people being more active and socialising. Premature lifting of lockdowns may generate
second and third waves of the pandemic. The infected persons being asymptomatic
for nearly a week or more, spread the virus in an exponential manner, that even
admission of infected patients won’t be possible. Alarm bells are ringing loud.
We are not safe and there is nothing to be achieved by panic, but preparedness
and precautions can help to an extent. A made-up optimism/positivity may only
result in turning a blind eye to the reality, though too much hype and
spreading rumours, will be disastrous. The virus doesn’t know the moratorium of
the governments. It follows its lifecycle, keeps infecting live hosts and symptoms of attack on host becomes obvious after
incubation period of nearly 10-14 days. Public health care facilities of even the
most developed countries cannot manage influx of the patients in large numbers.
Already the health care system of even the developed countries have crippled
badly. Though the fatality rate of novel corona virus COVID-19 is 3.4% which
is less than the Nipah virus or SARS virus (50-70%) or slightly higher than the
Spanish flu of 1918 with crude fatality rate (CFR) of 2.1 %, the spread is at
an alarming rate. The mortality rate is yet to be assessed accurately, the death rate of COVID-19 dramatically varying with country because the casualty is tallied against the number of tests or reports of positive cases.Till we are safe these are mere numbers which we check in like points in the stock exchange. The lost lives were but human beings with friends and family, with dreams and hopes.
Is it the first pandemic
caused by a virus that the world is dealing with? Humans have faced several threats
to their existence, as epidemic or pandemic outbreaks caused by novel deadly
microbes, having more infectivity or fatality rate emerging through mutations. Spanish
flu (1918), Asian flu (1956-58), Hong kong flu (1968) Small pox, Bird flu,
Swine flu, Ebola (1995-2014), SARS (2003), MERS (2012), Zika (2015-16), Nipah (1999
in Malaysia and 2018 in India), are some of the epidemics, the outbreaks more frequent during recent
times. Worldwide, flu-related diseases cause nearly 36,000 deaths annually. So what is novel about the corona virus SARS-CoV-2 that it is the most dreaded pandemic? Is it the fatality rate, rapid, exponential, and asymptomatic local transmission or community spread of the virus or quick death of infected ones in the final stage, that makes it more dreaded? Is the virus per se dangerous or is globalisation or population explosion, or crammed spaces in urban "most developed" cities or regions or our over- dependence on others for daily needs, to be blamed for this catastrophe of massive scale? The arrogance of man as the supreme creature in the planet and the
theory of 'developed' world or 'modern' competent health care facility, that can tackle
any pathogen or disease, is put to test or curbed by these invisible microbes. Man is a mere creature in the planet. The
virus considered as inanimate has denigrated man as an organism or merely an
assembly of organs. Is it a punishment for destroying other life forms and disturbing
the delicate balance of nature and environment? The whole world is on a war
against the virus.
Countries which are under-developed
or poor but highly and densely populated, such as India cannot imagine of a
situation as in the developed nations such as US, Italy or China where mortality
rate was high. Doctors, nurses, para medical professionals, pharmaceutical/drug companies,sanitation workers, scientists, researchers, police and press are
on the job. When the whole country is locked down, the warriors are on duty, for
saving lives to control and fight out the enemy, risking their own lives,
sacrificing their family life to save humanity from the wretches of the deadly,
invisible, tiny, particulate parasites. India is not immune but rather more
prone to communicable diseases, at a fast pace. Our health care systems are
already pathetic, and majority of the population are not affluent nor have
access to even the basic necessities like food and shelter, access to good
health care facility being a distant dream. The unhygienic practices and dirty
congested streets or habitats add fuel to fire. We are supposed to have a
better immune system unlike the cleaner western world, thanks to the variety of
dirt, filth and pollution we are daily exposed to and the trying situations in
which we thrive. But are we immune to the novel pathogens like the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19?
We can but boast of handling the epidemic outbreaks of cholera (19th century), pox virus (1974), plague
(1994), hepatitis (2009), Bird flu (2006), Swine flu (2015), Nipah (2018) and
other non-communicable diseases like polio and eradicate them, but we have come
far off and cannot lose many lives as in the ‘not-so developed days’ of the
past.
Lockdown comes in the
wake of the alarming rate of spread of the deadly virus. The figures of number
of positive COVID-19 cases in India was low during the start of March with just
2-5 cases reported (the first COVID-19 positive case was reported by January 30th), which led us to believe in or be over-confident
on our strong immune systems, regard alarm bells as media over-hype and to
retreat to our laid back or lackadaisical attitude, optimism and false
positivity. But as days passed on, the quick progression of the disease with
200 cases (20th March), 253 cases (22nd March), 360 (23rd
March), 415, 515 (24th march), 560, 606 (25th March), 633
(26th March) and 724 (27th March) with 17 deaths
indicates the potency and accelerated spread of the virus. March 22 was Janata
curfew and by March 23, a complete lockdown was declared in majority of Indian
states. While it took March 25 (at stage II of the disease), for the Government
to announce a nation-wide lock down, forcing all states as well to shut down
the business, exempting the essential services such as water, electricity, bank,
postal, hospital, pharmacy,media etc from lock down. The precautionary steps had to
be geared up due to quick progression of the virus. Lockdown in a nation of 1.3
billion people, is a desperate measure, kudos to the bold and powerful decision amidst the world crisis, though it is a
gamble. Lock down alone cannot suffice to eradicate the virus. From screening
the international travelers with symptoms, now people with mild symptoms or
suspected illness are put to tests. Paucity of testing kits is a hurdle, making
it impossible to screen all symptomatic suspects or asymptomatic contacts of COVID-19
positive cases. Inspite of a lockdown, the numbers of COVID-19 cases have only
escalated from 360 to 724 from 23rd to 27th march in 4
days. But why is it so? Is it that we are virus-free till we are tested or diagnosed? Is it that there are many covert contagious infections which are still not tested nor detected nor reported (86% were asymptomatic but still contagious in China)? Is it that the severity of the infection and how it is spread be known only in the days to come? Is it that we would have carried on with our daily chores as usual till lockdown, that when our routine or livelihood was affected, we had to forcefully pay attention or is it that more people became aware of the impending disaster due to the nation-wide
lock down?
Even during the lockdown, people seem to be ignorant, arrogant and irresponsible, conducting covert mass
prayers, abusing law enforcing police, health workers etc escaping house quarantine, meeting family members etc against advice, (in
Kasargod district of Kerala, one such person who was advised
quarantine had spread the virus to many). The highest number of COVID-19 cases are from Kerala in our country and in Kerala from Kasargod district. Insensitive people without
understanding the gravity of the situation are roaming around in bikes,
congregating in shops, markets, hoarding food, medicines etc in large quantities, and selling
in black market resulting in paucity of essentials and soaring of prices or
inflation. Shut down and stay at home is like a long-term hartal or holiday for
many. It is highly ridiculous that in one of the most literate state, beverages outlets
were open for business and exempted from lock down, on par with other essential
services. Most are bereft of social ethos or basic understanding that they were celebrating with alcohol and meat, during
the trying times, when the whole world was in crisis. Janata curfew was called
for to isolate people, to prevent them from assembly or getting into contact
with other potential asymptomatic carriers, which
was very much possible on a holiday or Sunday and clapping of hands was advised
as a gesture of appreciation of those who were actively and tirelessly working
in the health care sector to fight off the disease (a gesture copied from Italy, the worst-hit country).The people of India, on the contrary, by the end of
curfew period assembled in many local and large groups to express their support
and solidarity, as if curfew was a festival or end of a fasting period,
defeating the whole purpose of the curfew and declaring loud that Indian ways
are unique.Before implementing any decision the crowd behaviour and social response and infrastructure needs to be carefully studied. But lockdown was an emergency decision to douse the flames of virus from spreading in the society as wild fire, where each human is but a spark, which like chain-reaction can spread the virus far and wide through people. The unexpected massive exodus of the migrant workers thrown out of their jobs, livelihood and homes has taken the authorities by surprise.What they need is assurance from the government on food, shelter and health care, at their location, counseling on the severity of the disease and their role and importance of their decisions, on the whole nation.
Can the lockdown be
effective since people live in congested spaces in India, with a joint family
system? The chances of getting infection has not reduced because members of a
family live close, with more proximity to
each other. An outbreak in the slum areas of India will be disastrous. The
daily wage or migrant labourers are cooped up in small make-shift shelters with tin, asbestos,
palm leaves or even a piece of cloth, without adequate food, water, or space
and living in the most unhygienic, inhuman conditions. Whatever development we
boast of, the quality of life of the poor in India remains the worse, the
infrastructure poor even otherwise.Exhaustive efforts are needed because, India is still a country of the poor. Few nations have manged to control the virus without lock down, but the population was less in such countries when compared to India and infrastructure far batter. Instead of lock down, they installed thermal cameras at public places and majority were tested for the presence of virus, to identify infected people, quarantine, isolate and treat them. Mass testing and no lockdown was effective than mass lockdown and few testings. No-lockdown normal situation in India will flare up the intensity and pace of infection, since most are unaware of the gravity of the situation. Mass testing and sanitisation or disinfection of public places may help.
Can we get over this? Is there a hope? Are we in a sinking ship? The iceberg has already hit, a hole is created, water is seeping in. Do we have limited time to save our lives? What is the solution? How can we tackle this? An assembly of scattered thoughts is shared, many of which are already in practice.
Can we get over this? Is there a hope? Are we in a sinking ship? The iceberg has already hit, a hole is created, water is seeping in. Do we have limited time to save our lives? What is the solution? How can we tackle this? An assembly of scattered thoughts is shared, many of which are already in practice.
1.Sensitisation and creating awareness
about the reality with proper care given to provide authentic information, than
creating panic with exaggerated false information. But this fails since the
effect is not known initially, but only by 10-11 days after exposure to the
pathogen, when symptoms of illness are developed by infected person, who by that
time would have transmitted the disease to 100s or 1000s of other people.
2. Lockdown:
Extreme measure is timely lock down at an earlier stage preferably by Stage I
or II itself and social distancing, to prevent person-to person transmission in
a geometrical progression, which when happens, can increase the mortality, when
the virus spreads to larger sections of population. The idea is to break the
chain and flatten the curve of progression of the pathogen. In China the first
case was reported around November mid-week, however complete lock down was only
by January end.
3. Creating adequate infrastructure:
No war can be won without adequate weapons and trained manpower. Weapons here are the
effective measures to ward off and combat the virus. The need of the hour is to
equip well. Health care professionals, the soldiers in the warfront are not
adequately equipped. Majority of funds are floated for space and defence
programmes, but health care sector is neglected like the education/research
system. A meagre of 1.28% of the GDP is allocated to the health care sector, an
increase of just 5.7% from the previous year, while 15.5% of GDP, 8 % and 4.6%
share is for the defence, space and education sector respectively. Defence
against the fast-evolving unpredictable, deadly pathogens should be equally
prioritised. At least the incidence of COVID-19 should be a wakeup call. Also,
the affluent sections can generously donate for the cause. Crowd funding is
another way to procure more funds. But care should be taken to prevent online
fraud/quacks and ensure authenticity of the links in the website. There should
be definite targets while allocating the funds, with a timeline of achieving
the targets. This is no natural or physical calamity but a biological unpredictable
calamity.
The
production of the sanitisers, nose masks, gloves, protective medical wear and medical equipments like ventilators should be increased. Even in the most developed
country like the US the situation is grim or worse, with the doctors using
trash bags to protect themselves, due to the acute shortage of the protective
masks. Thermal cameras can be installed like CCTV cameras at public places. The CCTV cameras installed by traffic police/ municipalities can be used to monitor movement of people and coupled with thermal cameras to find out if they are infected. Testing/diagnostic kits should be adequately available. Research on indigenous kits to reduce cost and cover larger population must be encouraged and undertaken in a rapid pace.
Adequate space and hospitals should be available
for isolation and treatment of virus-positive patients as well as for screening
or testing citizens. Home test kits available at a nominal rate or free in
public health care systems should be developed. China constructed new hospitals
exclusively for treatment of the corona virus. Can India think of creating a
hospital in a short span considering the accelerated spread of the contagion. People
already are modifying vacant, brand new
apartments, fully or half constructed (which are not allotted or occupied),
hotels and government guest houses, hostels or schools etc to create temporary shelter
camps or the corona-care facility for identification and treatment of the COVID-19
patients. Alternatively, the government can think of setting up a facility or
building exclusively for dealing with epidemic or pandemic outbreaks,
earmarking a percentage of fund every year for this.
Refugee/ Shelter camps and public kitchens for the poor and needy but with enough isolation and medical care can be thought of. Already good samaritans are on action in the streets. Again shelter camps of community kitchens,ration or and grocery shops etc should not be crowded and people should be allowed only after maintaining safe distance or wearing masks.
Refugee/ Shelter camps and public kitchens for the poor and needy but with enough isolation and medical care can be thought of. Already good samaritans are on action in the streets. Again shelter camps of community kitchens,ration or and grocery shops etc should not be crowded and people should be allowed only after maintaining safe distance or wearing masks.
Transport facilities such as ambulances, which are sanitised regularly should be provided. exclusively
for carrying the suspects and patients
4. Creating a task force or adequate manpower or machine power (robots/drones).
4. Creating a task force or adequate manpower or machine power (robots/drones).
A local group of volunteers can be inducted or
formed and given adequate training for a day or two about the action plan, precautions
to be taken and chart out the tasks and area of operation. Instead of a new
group, people from police, army, ex-servicemen, government officials or NGOs can
also be roped in, or re-constituted as task force. A group of 5 -10 people will
be reporting to a supervisor and get their medical status checked every day
before and after their movement or completing the assigned job for the day. The
group may be responsible for covering a particular area or locality. Similarly
for every locality, a local circle of volunteers can be formed who can be registered
and given ID cards for authenticity. These groups will be provided with adequate
protective material for their own safety A nodal officer in this group can coordinate
the activities such as identifying the local restaurants, grocery stores, and
other outlets for supply of essentials like milk, fruits, vegetables etc. They
may have list of all vendors and their contact numbers. Each week a particular vendor
may be responsible for supply of commodities. Door-step-delivery is ensured by
members of the task group. Likewise few restaurants should be earmarked and authorised
to prepare and distribute food packets to the needy at their homes and
monitored for the hygienic practices by members of the task force. Similarly announcements
can be made regarding the contact numbers of the local circle groups or through
print or digital media or mobile phones as calls or SMS messages. One will
ensure supply of essentials like food and medicine. Another will ensure transport
and medical care facility for the needy, yet another will address on emergency
service needs like bank. Another may be health care worker who is responsible
for mapping, tracing and tracking the contacts of the COVID-19 infected patients, testing them and isolating them for treatment at an early stage. Counselling
centres to deal with anxiety, stress and trauma can be opened. Helpline numbers and
online sites can be advertised by the task force. In addition, all members
involved in health care system and the essential service system should be registered
and frequently checked for any symptom or tested for infection. Drones can also
be employed in extreme cases if possible as in China, when human indulgence is
prohibited.
5. Research and Innovations: Scientists, researchers, medical professionals and pharma should work in close coordination. Brilliant scientific minds in the world should be pooled and coordinate their work by dividing the assignments and without duplications Transparency and openness should be emphasised, than competition for credit, name and fame. The need of the hour is to develop curative drugs and vaccine for treating the COVID-19. We cannot wait till 2021 for development a new vaccine (anticipated time for a new vaccine against the deadly mutant virus is a year, by 2021). Considering the time usually taken for development of a new vaccine, already available vaccines for other viral diseases can be tested. repurposing of the existing drugs is also an alternative (as I am writing this, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used for treating malaria was found to be effective against the virus, so also the drug remdesivir that cripples RNA polymerase enzyme and used against Nipah virus, and a combination of two drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir, used against HIV, is also being tested. We cannot wait. As commented in editorial of a leading Science Journal, A solution is desired without really understanding the problem, because we do not have time to understand the problem deeply or fully. What works should be adopted without delay, to save the lives, as we continue our research on the origin, evolution, epidemiology, infectivity, mode of transmission and all other aspects of the virus and the disease. Its only ironical that by the time we understand the problem, to devise the solution, the solution may lose its significance, considering the fast spread and mortality rate of the corona virus. Modern tools of molecular biology and bioinformatics can be used effectively to understand the problem and devise solutions. The supercomputer already has identified 66 potent drugs.
After the lockdown period
as well restrictions should be placed and lockdown removed only in a phased manner.
Transport in and out of the hotspots should be banned and if restricted, travellers
should be monitored with testing kits/ cameras. The testing kits should be
capable of detecting the virus at early stages of infection, even when the
infected person is aysmptomatic. A fitness certificate or COVID-19-free certificate
from medical officer at the hotspot locality, or at the travel place before
travel or before issuing ticket/pass for travel should be a must. The medical team
with testing kits can be stationed at travel stations like airports. Local
circles can be formed by clustering regions based on population, density of population,
infrastructure such as hospitals, pharmacy, essential services etc. Movement of
people from one circle to another circle should be restricted or banned
depending on severity of incidence or reported cases. Each local circle should
be adequate in infrastructure and able to function independently. If not adequate,
health care professionals should be deployed after testing and infrastructure
created to these regions before lifting the lock down.
5. Research and Innovations: Scientists, researchers, medical professionals and pharma should work in close coordination. Brilliant scientific minds in the world should be pooled and coordinate their work by dividing the assignments and without duplications Transparency and openness should be emphasised, than competition for credit, name and fame. The need of the hour is to develop curative drugs and vaccine for treating the COVID-19. We cannot wait till 2021 for development a new vaccine (anticipated time for a new vaccine against the deadly mutant virus is a year, by 2021). Considering the time usually taken for development of a new vaccine, already available vaccines for other viral diseases can be tested. repurposing of the existing drugs is also an alternative (as I am writing this, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used for treating malaria was found to be effective against the virus, so also the drug remdesivir that cripples RNA polymerase enzyme and used against Nipah virus, and a combination of two drugs Lopinavir and Ritonavir, used against HIV, is also being tested. We cannot wait. As commented in editorial of a leading Science Journal, A solution is desired without really understanding the problem, because we do not have time to understand the problem deeply or fully. What works should be adopted without delay, to save the lives, as we continue our research on the origin, evolution, epidemiology, infectivity, mode of transmission and all other aspects of the virus and the disease. Its only ironical that by the time we understand the problem, to devise the solution, the solution may lose its significance, considering the fast spread and mortality rate of the corona virus. Modern tools of molecular biology and bioinformatics can be used effectively to understand the problem and devise solutions. The supercomputer already has identified 66 potent drugs.
Screening or testing kits which are simple,
easy, portable, less time-consuming, low cost and that can be preferably used in homes even by
ordinary people, should be developed on an emergency basis. The tests can be
based on colorimetric assays than PCR or antibody based assays, which can be
done in the second stage, to reconfirm the cases found positive by colorimetric
assays. Non invasive optical detection systems and thermal cameras are other alternatives for mass screening.
The
genome sequence of COVID-19 is already published (with genome size of 29.903 Kb, 38% GC content, with 11 genes, 12
proteins as available/ submitted in NCBI on 5th January 2020 and resubmitted on
13 Mar 2020).The RNA-Dependent RNA polymerase of SARS-CoV-2, like any other RNA virus, exists only in the
virus, but not in animals or human, and can be targeted for developing a drug. How
the genome is different from the already known SARS virus and other non-pathogenic
forms of the virus, if these differences (in accessory proteins 3 and 8?) have
made the virus more infective and fatal to human life etc needs to be deciphered.
These regions of differences can be targeted by molecular medicines. Nanomedicine/Nano tablets/Nanorobots (brain child of Richard Feynmann, the Physics nobel prize winner) can also be thought of as an effective measure for targeting and killing the virus. Also an
attenuated/ disarmed recombinant virus, which can recombine with the original SARS-CoV-2/
COVID-19 to disarm it., or that can be used as a recombinant vaccine can be designed or developed, but may require more time to develop because of the associated biosafety issues. The genome of SARS-CoV-2
is found to be relatively stable. the strain variation during global spread is
not high (8 strains reported as of now) with only 4-10 genetic differences, suggesting low rate of mutation.
Thus the virus can be managed with a single vaccine, unlike the common flu, where
new vaccines need to be developed every year. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is thought
to be a recombined version of two genomes or a mutant virus. Antibodies (active
or passive immunity),plant-derived vaccines and plantibodies are other options. Blood plasma from infected and recovered persons can also be used. Bats, primates, rats, pangolins, pigs
and other mammals harbour deadly viruses which do not cause any harm to their
hosts, but turn lethal when they jump to humans. How this happens and if the
immune system of these original hosts have antibodies conferring immunity to
the pathogen, can be studied. Humans have receptors such as ACE for the viral spikes, bats or other animals which harbour them may lack them. If not causing disease then why and how do these viruses stay in them? Are they mild attackers or just parasites which are not deadly in bats? If so, how the fatality of the virus is countered in them? Such antibodies if any conferring immunity, can be isolated and studied to
engineer or develop synthetic or humanised antibodies.
As per reports, the primary infectious stage, when the
virus colonises the nasal region in the host, is contagious and dangerous form,
from where the virus migrates to lungs, creates pneumonia-like symptoms, lung inflammation, shortness of breath and finally death. Nasal sprays with protective
chemicals/biomolecules that prevent colonisation of virus, kills the virus at preliminary
stage itself and antiseptic or antiviral compounds such as iodine or any other chemical or drug to
kill the virus, without harming the host, can prevent spread of live virus through sneeze or cough droplets or as aerosols in the air. Also using chemicals or peptides that can block the ACE receptors in nasal cavity can be used in nasal sprays. Soap, alcohol, saline
water, bleach etc were reported to be effective for sanitisation and such similar, simple,
easily available chemicals should be tested for effectiveness against the virus. The virus as of now, is thought to be spread only by human-to human contact or
proximity to infected person. However the persistence of virus on surfaces and
transport by wind or air etc also needs to be understood for effective control
measures. Statistics and mathematical predictive modelling can be used to understand
the real scenario. Mass sprays with the disinfectants for sanitisation of
public spaces and hospitals needs to be done to prevent recurrence. Spraying and fumigation in community level in massive scale is already practised to control mosquitoes and malaria.Undertaking this during lockdown period will be more effective. Can we also think of virus repellants (preferably biological) in vapour forms like the mosquito repellants to disinfect small closed spaces?
How
the SARS was contained and controlled and the experience with other RNA viruses
for drug/ vaccine development can be considered, taking into account the reports
that the genome of SARS-CoV-2 is a recombinant one. Can other tested and attenuated viral vaccines which are already tested and safe be tested and used against SARS-CoV-2 as well?
Regulations in research should be
revisited and amendments made to hasten or accelerate the pace of research, to
overpower the virus. The guidelines for conducting research should be modified,
considering the urgency for a cure for the disease and to ensure product development
in a short period. Even as humanity is in danger, the basic instinct of selfishness
and greed of human beings, has not vanquished. The war is on, so also is the
rat race for who is the first to develop cure and who is to garner the accolades, patents,
benefits etc. Limiting others from using the life saving drug should be strictly discouraged. There are already provisions in law, which need to be implemented. Considering the grim and delicate
situation the entire human race is encountering, the Intellectual Property (IP)
rights and laws should be modified or reframed, if at present there is no provision to immediately use
the products of research and science for mankind.
More number of research groups should be
identified and involved in research, than restricting the access of the study/experimental
material to a few expert groups. A multidisciplinary research group with
defined, specific goals to be accomplished in a very short term (of weeks or months)
need to be promulgated, where the expert groups can be leading. The research
equipments and materials unused during shutdown can be diverted for developing
drugs and screening/diagnostic/testing kits.
Precautions also should be taken to curb the re-emergence of the virus.
6. Social measures like care for the elderly, disadvantaged, poor and marginalised sections of the society, who struggle for daily food even otherwise, is a must. The people most hard-hit due to lock down, are the unorganised, daily-wage earners. They are first and foremost to bear the brunt of any such decisions. They are jobless, daily work or job being the only means for a morsel of food, being lost. Pathetic is the situation of the poor and hungry who struggle daily for making their both ends meet. They are out of income for 3 weeks. Either the virus kills or poverty and hunger kills, either way it is the same fate. None have cared for these during the better times nor is there any care or hope, for these during crisis. The situation is same or worse or bleak. Already the government has announced a package Rs.1.7 lakh crores for the poor in unorganised sector, free ration, advance pension, home delivery of food, essentials, medicines etc. Food production is sufficient and surplus that we have enough buffer stock to be distributed to the needy, free of cost. Thanks to the agriculture sector!!. Sanitisers, gloves, masks and disposable tissue papers can also be provided to each family as a kit along with ration or food. Since social distancing and lock down is practised, majority of the vulnerable, marginalised sections who do not have access to media or internet are left out in a lurch, stranded, poorly informed and unaware as to where and whom to approach. Public announcements can be made through the media, television, social networking sites etc. Helpline numbers and 24 x 7 active emergency numbers should be available to all or by dialling 100 they should be able to get help. However, the out-reach to the needy is challenging task, especially during a shut down. All these should not only be advertisements bereft of action.The workforce already deployed in hospitals and the police or the task force can be entrusted with helping the public. Refugee/ Shelter camps and community kitchens can be opened up as in any other natural calamity, but with enough isolation and medical care.
Precautions also should be taken to curb the re-emergence of the virus.
6. Social measures like care for the elderly, disadvantaged, poor and marginalised sections of the society, who struggle for daily food even otherwise, is a must. The people most hard-hit due to lock down, are the unorganised, daily-wage earners. They are first and foremost to bear the brunt of any such decisions. They are jobless, daily work or job being the only means for a morsel of food, being lost. Pathetic is the situation of the poor and hungry who struggle daily for making their both ends meet. They are out of income for 3 weeks. Either the virus kills or poverty and hunger kills, either way it is the same fate. None have cared for these during the better times nor is there any care or hope, for these during crisis. The situation is same or worse or bleak. Already the government has announced a package Rs.1.7 lakh crores for the poor in unorganised sector, free ration, advance pension, home delivery of food, essentials, medicines etc. Food production is sufficient and surplus that we have enough buffer stock to be distributed to the needy, free of cost. Thanks to the agriculture sector!!. Sanitisers, gloves, masks and disposable tissue papers can also be provided to each family as a kit along with ration or food. Since social distancing and lock down is practised, majority of the vulnerable, marginalised sections who do not have access to media or internet are left out in a lurch, stranded, poorly informed and unaware as to where and whom to approach. Public announcements can be made through the media, television, social networking sites etc. Helpline numbers and 24 x 7 active emergency numbers should be available to all or by dialling 100 they should be able to get help. However, the out-reach to the needy is challenging task, especially during a shut down. All these should not only be advertisements bereft of action.The workforce already deployed in hospitals and the police or the task force can be entrusted with helping the public. Refugee/ Shelter camps and community kitchens can be opened up as in any other natural calamity, but with enough isolation and medical care.
Ambulance or transport services should be
made available on a phone call to the elderly. Mobile clinics, testing centres, mobile pharmacy, information centres and other essential services can be provided based on needs. All are not tech-savvy.
Volunteers or task forces/ NGOs who are as well tested for the virus can take up
the job of delivery of essential services to the needy. Again, large population
is the challenge. All the delivery vehicles and items should be virus-free and
sanitised with clear guidelines for handling commodities. Chinese model of using
drones can be adopted but use of drones still is in the inceptive stage and
used in few areas like agriculture. Because of the highly contagious nature of
the disaster, shelter homes and make-shift homes to assemble people and care
for them by providing food etc till the crisis subsides, is not a good
option. If caution is not exercised and without frequent health checkups or testing aggregation of people may spread the virus..
7. Economic measures: Cash also can be delivered by banks to the needy senior citizens who are weak and immobile. Relief packages and financial aid to the unemployed during the lock down period, tax reliefs for donations or crowd funding, aadhar based rationing and distribution of services and goods etc can be considered. Selfless service should be adequately rewarded. Bank or postal account for all and cashless E-transactions should be encouraged. It is a period when inputs are required in enormous quantity, but output is negligible or almost nil, the mission and objective being eradicating the SARS-CoV-2. Licensing of the new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of the disease and tax benefits to manufacturing units of medical equipments and incentives to pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing curative drugs can be considered. Additional benefits of pay to the health care professionals volunteers or task force group and the who stay on job than home, has to be considered to encourage motivate and boost up the morale of these. But more strong measures are needed after the war to prevent ravaging of an already ailing economy.
8. Legal and regulatory measures: Strict legal measures should be taken for crowd control or elimination of groups/ congregations of people and criminal charges imposed on those who violate social distancing. Already it is in practice with section 144 etc imposed and law makers are pleading to and punishing those who act irresponsibly. Curbing a little freedom for the common good is better than invite or magnify the disaster for individual rights. But harassing and barbaric beating up of the poor public with the genuine cause, by law protectors should be avoided. Criminal activity and disruption of social order is a possibility given the trauma, stress and loneliness of people due to lockdown for long periods. Guns for self-protection were procured by citizens in US, anticipating social disorder. Strict vigilance is required in an already disturbed nation. Black market, inflating the prices of essential goods, hoarding, food adulteration, clearing the old stocks (date of safe consumption already expired) of essential perishable commodities should be criminalised and such unlawful activities should invite stringent punishment for deterrence. Rules and regulatiions on research and on patent rights should be revisited and amended, if there are blockades that prevent the pace of research and use of the product or technology for the common good.
9. Post-crisis measures: Lock down for a prolonged period is stressful not only for the citizens but also for the government. Can we afford a complete lockdown of the business or daily activities? Economy which is already in-not-so-good shape, may dwindle further. To quote the leader of a most developed nation, Cure (of total lockdown) is worse than the problem (of the virus killing the people). India is a socialist, democratic, republic where everything is for, of and by “we-the-people. Shutdowns may hamper the economy and result in recession, which the country cannot afford. Either way it is a situation of ‘between the devil and the deep sea’. Again our country and its leader stand apart with clear targets and priorities, and has urged to shift the focus to human beings and humanitarian values, rather than the economic targets. At present the whole focus and efforts should be to control and eradicate the deadly virus menace. Lock down was to prevent community spread of virus, but every day more cases are reported. It was anticipated that virus will be checked after lockdown, but chance of outbreak or resurgence should be carefully evaluated and strategies devised. The period of lock down is to prepare enough weapons and aids and sharpen them to efface the virus completely. The challenges emerging after lockdown, (hopefully after successful eradication the deadly contagion), will be enormous and in all spheres, the major one being the economy. Can we think of imposing strict sanction measures against the country where the virus has originated, for behaving irresponsibly and falsifying facts to the entire world or banning their products or charge an exorbitant tax rate on their commodities, as a price for disrupting and crashing the economies. Export and cooperation should be reduced on all fronts. All components of biological warfare should be criminalised. These are but sensitive, critical decisions to be made by the International community.
7. Economic measures: Cash also can be delivered by banks to the needy senior citizens who are weak and immobile. Relief packages and financial aid to the unemployed during the lock down period, tax reliefs for donations or crowd funding, aadhar based rationing and distribution of services and goods etc can be considered. Selfless service should be adequately rewarded. Bank or postal account for all and cashless E-transactions should be encouraged. It is a period when inputs are required in enormous quantity, but output is negligible or almost nil, the mission and objective being eradicating the SARS-CoV-2. Licensing of the new technologies for diagnosis and treatment of the disease and tax benefits to manufacturing units of medical equipments and incentives to pharmaceutical companies for manufacturing curative drugs can be considered. Additional benefits of pay to the health care professionals volunteers or task force group and the who stay on job than home, has to be considered to encourage motivate and boost up the morale of these. But more strong measures are needed after the war to prevent ravaging of an already ailing economy.
8. Legal and regulatory measures: Strict legal measures should be taken for crowd control or elimination of groups/ congregations of people and criminal charges imposed on those who violate social distancing. Already it is in practice with section 144 etc imposed and law makers are pleading to and punishing those who act irresponsibly. Curbing a little freedom for the common good is better than invite or magnify the disaster for individual rights. But harassing and barbaric beating up of the poor public with the genuine cause, by law protectors should be avoided. Criminal activity and disruption of social order is a possibility given the trauma, stress and loneliness of people due to lockdown for long periods. Guns for self-protection were procured by citizens in US, anticipating social disorder. Strict vigilance is required in an already disturbed nation. Black market, inflating the prices of essential goods, hoarding, food adulteration, clearing the old stocks (date of safe consumption already expired) of essential perishable commodities should be criminalised and such unlawful activities should invite stringent punishment for deterrence. Rules and regulatiions on research and on patent rights should be revisited and amended, if there are blockades that prevent the pace of research and use of the product or technology for the common good.
9. Post-crisis measures: Lock down for a prolonged period is stressful not only for the citizens but also for the government. Can we afford a complete lockdown of the business or daily activities? Economy which is already in-not-so-good shape, may dwindle further. To quote the leader of a most developed nation, Cure (of total lockdown) is worse than the problem (of the virus killing the people). India is a socialist, democratic, republic where everything is for, of and by “we-the-people. Shutdowns may hamper the economy and result in recession, which the country cannot afford. Either way it is a situation of ‘between the devil and the deep sea’. Again our country and its leader stand apart with clear targets and priorities, and has urged to shift the focus to human beings and humanitarian values, rather than the economic targets. At present the whole focus and efforts should be to control and eradicate the deadly virus menace. Lock down was to prevent community spread of virus, but every day more cases are reported. It was anticipated that virus will be checked after lockdown, but chance of outbreak or resurgence should be carefully evaluated and strategies devised. The period of lock down is to prepare enough weapons and aids and sharpen them to efface the virus completely. The challenges emerging after lockdown, (hopefully after successful eradication the deadly contagion), will be enormous and in all spheres, the major one being the economy. Can we think of imposing strict sanction measures against the country where the virus has originated, for behaving irresponsibly and falsifying facts to the entire world or banning their products or charge an exorbitant tax rate on their commodities, as a price for disrupting and crashing the economies. Export and cooperation should be reduced on all fronts. All components of biological warfare should be criminalised. These are but sensitive, critical decisions to be made by the International community.
Challenges and lessons:
An outbreak of disease occurs when the delicate balance between man and nature is disrupted.
Wild animals, that too endangered species are being sold live and consumed by
humans. Another virus is reported from the same country where SARS-CoV-2 has originated, the Hanta virus from rats, claiming
a life as of now. Are we prepared for another series of the deadly zoonotic
diseases/pandemics in future? Consumption of animal products should be minimised and
strict guidelines followed on their manufacture and consumption. Minimal or no-consumption
can be encouraged. Are we paying a heavy price for slaughtering innocent animals for satiating our taste buds? Animals were mercilessly killed enmass for our food factories and now human beings are killed enmass by an animal-borne virus, blindly with no distinction of the boundaries demarcated by human beings. Do such epidemics occur in animals also? It is believed that the practice of consuming wild life as food emerged as a result of famine.In certain countries and cultures it is normal food habit to consume wild life. Also soldiers in many nations are trained to live on unconventional food to help them survive in no-food conditions. But with SARS outbreak, laws were made to restrict consumption of wildlife meat. So another more potent SARS-CoV-2 has emerged from wildlife. To protect them from human beings? It is ironical that we are caged in our habitats, our movements restricted, when the animals and birds that we have once caged, are wandering in our streets and skies, enjoying their new found, most valuable freedom. Pollution is less during lock down, due to no human or industrial activity. After the crisis, definitely its time to introspect and correct our faulty courses, instead of blindly moving forward as before.
Our proximity to other life forms, mainly wildlife, by encroaching into their space, gives more opportunities for the evolution of such deadly pathogens in future as well. These pathogens or viruses are the weapons of these life forms, to protect them from the most harmful creatures in the planet, the human beings. Industrial or commercial animal farms on a large-scale (factory farms), need to be closely monitored for emergence of such diseases. We should think of alternatives to factory farms and be more alert or vigilant. Ebola, Nipah, and SARS-CoV-2 (the latest addition to the pandemic-causing deadly virus) have emerged from the bats. Is it that the viruses being obligate parasites are more potent killers or deadlly than other microbial pathogens like bacteria, fungi etc? Already antibiotic resistance emerging in bacteria is a serious concern. Many bacteria and fungi are obligate too. The possibility of plant viruses and pathogens to mutate to potent human pathogens should as well be investigated.
“Thy food is thy medicine”. We should be watchful of what we eat and shun under-cooked animals and animal products. Foods with antiviral or antimicrobial properties should be included in the diet..
Alternative medicines like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Sidhha, Unani etc should also be considered as components of holistic approach or strategies to eliminate the virus. Modern medicine and ancient wisdom should be harmonised. Research should be encouraged and accelerated in alternative medicines. Instead of scorning them off as an aggregation of quacks, it is worth the effort to research on these and come out with a strategy. We need approval from the western world to appreciate our own system. Already this has happened in case of turmeric and neem. It is foolish to believe that we, our age and our times, are only modern/developed and those who walked before us on this planet were primitive, uncivilised, less-evolved or less-developed, savages. We don't know until the greatest civilisations are excavated and we don't know what calamity had put an end to the glorious era of intelligent humans, if they had existed. Evolution is for becoming more adaptive.
Stringent security checking was followed after 9/11 incident. Tourists and the people returning from the COVID-19 infected nations were source of the virus. It took only weeks and months for an epidemic with epicentre in Wuhan to transform to a pandemic and the worst global calamity. The first case in India was an Indian student from Wuhan. Can we think of more stringent security checks in airports, public transport systems and public places. Bombs (viruses) are hidden in the human body. The carriers nor any vigilance systems are aware of these, as these are invisible to naked eye. A group of expert medical officers should be deployed for security checks in airports and armed with detectors/ testing kits to screen and monitor every passenger when a deadly epidemic is reported . Thermal cameras are used but how if the person is asymptomatic and still a carrier? This can be in addition to or instead of the tedious contact tracing or mapping process to identify and isolate the people who have come in contact with the infected person.
There is a price to pay after lockdown. There is no production nor income only efflux of funds for saving lives. Are we ready to work overtime and double our efforts to compensate for the time lost? After a war how situations are brought back to normalcy? There will be post-trauma stress of targets, deadlines etc. For some its irrepairable loss, indelible scars left in their lives and minds due to loss of dear ones. Will there be global recession?, Will there be massive layoffs, monetary losses etc? Will our food production be affected? Will there be famine? Repo rates, interest rates etc were cut. Now itself we should devise clear strategies to avoid ending up in another crisis of economy or recession.
.
Our proximity to other life forms, mainly wildlife, by encroaching into their space, gives more opportunities for the evolution of such deadly pathogens in future as well. These pathogens or viruses are the weapons of these life forms, to protect them from the most harmful creatures in the planet, the human beings. Industrial or commercial animal farms on a large-scale (factory farms), need to be closely monitored for emergence of such diseases. We should think of alternatives to factory farms and be more alert or vigilant. Ebola, Nipah, and SARS-CoV-2 (the latest addition to the pandemic-causing deadly virus) have emerged from the bats. Is it that the viruses being obligate parasites are more potent killers or deadlly than other microbial pathogens like bacteria, fungi etc? Already antibiotic resistance emerging in bacteria is a serious concern. Many bacteria and fungi are obligate too. The possibility of plant viruses and pathogens to mutate to potent human pathogens should as well be investigated.
“Thy food is thy medicine”. We should be watchful of what we eat and shun under-cooked animals and animal products. Foods with antiviral or antimicrobial properties should be included in the diet..
Alternative medicines like Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Sidhha, Unani etc should also be considered as components of holistic approach or strategies to eliminate the virus. Modern medicine and ancient wisdom should be harmonised. Research should be encouraged and accelerated in alternative medicines. Instead of scorning them off as an aggregation of quacks, it is worth the effort to research on these and come out with a strategy. We need approval from the western world to appreciate our own system. Already this has happened in case of turmeric and neem. It is foolish to believe that we, our age and our times, are only modern/developed and those who walked before us on this planet were primitive, uncivilised, less-evolved or less-developed, savages. We don't know until the greatest civilisations are excavated and we don't know what calamity had put an end to the glorious era of intelligent humans, if they had existed. Evolution is for becoming more adaptive.
Stringent security checking was followed after 9/11 incident. Tourists and the people returning from the COVID-19 infected nations were source of the virus. It took only weeks and months for an epidemic with epicentre in Wuhan to transform to a pandemic and the worst global calamity. The first case in India was an Indian student from Wuhan. Can we think of more stringent security checks in airports, public transport systems and public places. Bombs (viruses) are hidden in the human body. The carriers nor any vigilance systems are aware of these, as these are invisible to naked eye. A group of expert medical officers should be deployed for security checks in airports and armed with detectors/ testing kits to screen and monitor every passenger when a deadly epidemic is reported . Thermal cameras are used but how if the person is asymptomatic and still a carrier? This can be in addition to or instead of the tedious contact tracing or mapping process to identify and isolate the people who have come in contact with the infected person.
There is a price to pay after lockdown. There is no production nor income only efflux of funds for saving lives. Are we ready to work overtime and double our efforts to compensate for the time lost? After a war how situations are brought back to normalcy? There will be post-trauma stress of targets, deadlines etc. For some its irrepairable loss, indelible scars left in their lives and minds due to loss of dear ones. Will there be global recession?, Will there be massive layoffs, monetary losses etc? Will our food production be affected? Will there be famine? Repo rates, interest rates etc were cut. Now itself we should devise clear strategies to avoid ending up in another crisis of economy or recession.
.
The
world is under siege, by the SARS-CoV-2, a tiny virus. It has not only infected
humans physically, but has infected our minds too, affecting us emotionally, mentally
and psychologically. The virus is everywhere, in the print, digital and social
media, in our conversations and discussions, controlling and dictating our daily
activities. Let us stay home, have more time for ourselves, our family and dear
ones and take time to stop and stare. Salute to the soldiers and warriors fighting
against the Corona virus, who are into their jobs, risking their own lives and
sacrificing their own family, tirelessly serving and protecting the nation and
its people, in the moments of crisis.
Are we going to surpass
this too?. A pandemic of this scale, an unpleasant effect of the much-hailed
globalisation, was never experienced by the whole world, any time, Will we be
globally and nationally be more prepared in future, for the disasters of this
scale, which can efface or wipe out human race from the planet in no time? Only
time may have an answer, but definitely hope persists that we together (in isolation)
shall overcome this global catastrophe.
Let each one of us contribute in whatever way we can to save humanity from the deadly pandemic of COVID-19, like the tiny squirrel who did its bit, in building stone bridge to help Lord Rama.The war is on to vanquish the virus.
Let each one of us contribute in whatever way we can to save humanity from the deadly pandemic of COVID-19, like the tiny squirrel who did its bit, in building stone bridge to help Lord Rama.The war is on to vanquish the virus.
“The ship is anchor’d
safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the
victor ship comes in with object won”-
From the poem: 'O’Captain My captain' by
Walt Whitman
Let us pray for the lost
lives and for the well being of humanity.
“Loka Samastha Sukhino
Bhavanthu”
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed here are that of the author. No third party or the organisation in which the author is working or associated with is responsible for the views.
Part of the write up is submitted in mygov.in/ group-issue/share-your-ideas-suggestions-help-fight-coronavirus
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