The world war against Coronavirus is fast spreading and almost 75% of the world is already fighting against it. It should effectively bring the world together in jointly fighting it. It is unfortunate that, China and Iran, both topmost targets of the US for sanctions, are the hardest hit countries. Hmmm, Thought provoking, isn’t it?
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the name given to the 2019 novel coronavirus. COVID-19 is the name given to the disease associated with the virus. SARS-CoV-2 is a new strain of coronavirus that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronavirus is a virus that circulate among animals with some of them also known to infect humans. Bats are considered as natural hosts of these viruses yet several other species of animals are also known to be a source. For instance, the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is transmitted to humans from camels, and the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1) is transmitted to humans from civet cats. 
The current COVID-19 outbreak caused around 7 000 reported cases in China during the first month after initial reports (January 2020), with a further 100, 000 cases reported globally during the second month (February 2020). Of these first 107, 000 cases, about 6 000 died. Cases are now being detected in Europe and across the globe.
The concern about COVID-19 is that, unlike influenza, there is no vaccine and no specific treatment for the disease. It also appears to be as transmissible as influenza if not more so. As it is a new virus, nobody has prior immunity which in theory means that the entire human population is potentially susceptible to COVID-19 infection.
At this stage, we know that the virus can be transmitted when people who are infected show flu-like symptoms such as coughing. There is evidence suggesting that transmission can occur from an infected person with no symptoms; however, uncertainties remain about the effect of transmission by non-symptomatic persons on the epidemic.
The virus can cause mild, flu-like symptoms such as:
• fever
• cough
• difficulty breathing
• muscle pain
• tiredness
More serious cases develop severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock that can lead to death.
Generally elderly people and those with underlying health conditions (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease and cancer) are considered to be more at risk of developing severe symptoms.
The virus enters your body via your eyes, nose and/or mouth, so it is important to avoid touching your face with unwashed hands. Washing of hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or cleaning hands with alcohol-based solutions, gels or tissues is recommended in all settings. It is also recommended to stay 1 meter or more away from people infected with COVID-19 who are showing symptoms, to reduce the risk of infection through respiratory droplets. Also Read: Coronavirus Symptoms & Precautions
If you are infected, the use of surgical face masks may reduce the risk of you infecting other people, but there is no evidence that face masks will effectively prevent you from being infected with the virus. In fact, it is possible that the use of face masks may even increase the risk of infection due to a false sense of security and increased contact between hands, mouth and eyes.
Our bigger problem is to fight the virus if it enters Pakistan. The crises will be of preparing and providing health facilities in an environment where basic health services are not available to the masses.
It’s not surprising that the government hasn’t thought through the economic implications of this coronavirus – especially when they haven’t even recognized the health implications of sharing a border with country that is the nexus of a pandemic which has killed roughly 4000 people and has spread throughout the World. The day Pakistanis realize the severity of this it will be too late. We need to close offices, businesses, schools and self-quarantine by staying indoors. There needs to be coherence between federal administration and provincial over this deadly menace. Politics can wait.
