CORONA VIRUS: KNOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE

CORONA VIRUS: KNOW BEFORE IT IS TO LATE :

 By PROF WAQAR HUSSAIN

CAUSES:

        Corona fever is caused by a group of corona virus of family Coronaviridae cause disease in bird, mammals, and man. In human, corona virus causes respiratory infection often mild and rarely acute and lethal.

ETYMOLOGY: 

         Corona is a Latin word meaning crown, when virus is observed under electron microscope; a fringe of large bulbous surface projection creating an image of royal crown.

HISTORY: 

         Corona-viruses were first discovered in 1960s in chicken and two type of virus in human; suffering from influenza.

TYPES OF VIRUSES:

          There are many types of viruses that  have been identified so far ; For example, SARS.CoV in 2003; HCoV NL63 in 2004; HKU1 in 2005; MERS-CoV in 2012 and 2019 nCoV in 2019. Most causes respiratory track infection.

RECENT CORONA-VIRUS :

        It is reported about a novel strain of corona-virus 2019 nCoV  found in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China. Wuhan is a city  with 110 million population. So far 25 death have been reported and 547 confirmed cases.National Health Commission daily report of 26th, Janauary says 2744 cases and 80 deaths. Wuhan virus has 70% genetic similarity with SARC-CoV. It is suspected that this virus originated  from snakes or bat.Out of the first 41 people infected; two -third had link with Huanan Seafood whole sale market , which also sold live animals. It shoes that virus probably transmitted from animals.Other countries that have confirmed cases are: Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Macau, Hong Kong , United States, Singapore, France, Nepal, Srilanka, Cambodia,Australia, Malaysia, Canada,UK( WHO did not confirm it)

REPLICATION:

         Virus enter cell and virus particle is uncoated and RNA genome enter cytoplasm. Genome attaches to ribosome for translation RNA  genome make new copies using host cell machinery.Thus increase in number.It incubation period is for 2-14 days.

TEST TO IDENTIFY CORONA VIRUS

There are two test to identity corona virus; first one is PCR Nucleic acid testing in which DNA of virus is detected. Second is crown morphology of corona virus is seen through Electron Microscope.The Minister of state for Health Zafar Mirza admitted that we have not enough facilities to identify and screen corona virus.

TREATMENT

         No vaccine is available so far . Suspected person is advised to wear mask.  US CDC  prescribed that patient should take flue medication, drink fluid and take rest.

VACCINE AVAILABILITY 

 NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH (NIH) is hooping for human trial of medicine by April 2020. Chinese Centre of Disease Control and Prevention CCDC has started developing vaccine against noval coronovirus. Coalition of Epidemic Preparedness Innovation ( CEPI)  is funding three vaccine projects and hope to have a vaccine by jun 2020.So, at this stage, precaution is the best medicine.

SYMPTOMS

          Fever, coughing, breathing difficulty, and flu like symptoms.

PRECAUTIONS; 

1) Regular hand washing

2) covering mouth and nose as it is air born disease ( spread by air)

3) avoid close contact with person showing respiratory illness as it is contagious disease( spread by touch)

4) doctor should use bunny suit (protective clothing from head to toe)

5) keep away from pet animals

6) cook food completely 

7) avoid touching eye and face of anyone

8) Use vicks or oil in nose and try to breath through nose as far as possible.

9) always keep throat moistened; never let it dry.

10)doctor should wear bunny suit.

Mortality rate. China say 4% patient dies; WHO say 25% get serious illness; and most of the neutral observers have calculated mortality rate of 10%.

FUTURE THREAT;

      Dr Sallaudin Qadri said that any virus can become pandemic if four factors are available. it is a new type of virus; it can be transmitted from animal to human; human body can develop a disease and virus can spread from human to human. Unfortunately, all four factor are there.So, the world community should fight it on war footing.

Pakistan is said to have five cases; three in services hospital Lahore and two in Multan. But these cases are not officially confirmed.But it is imminent need of the time to first screen the people coming from china from all corridor; air port, sea port and land route. Second, a massive awareness campaign is to be launched in print,electronic media and social media.third if there is any confirmed case, he should be kept in quarantine. But one fact should be kept in mind, it is winter season and one often gets flue but every person getting cold should not be labelled with corona virus before proper investigation.As anxiety of disease worsen the malady many fold. there is formula in medicine; two and two is not four, it is twenty two.It means if one get sick and then get anxious about it, the disease will not be in tune of 4 but it will increase to 22.Further there is maxim: 'cat has nine lives" meaning it is difficult to kill a cat being tough.But in another adage, it is said:" care killed a cat" . It shows how dangerous it is anxiety that it killed sturdy nine lives having cat.So avoiding worry and anxiety is also a "treatment."