World is recently witnessing an unprecedented pandemic covid-19, caused by novel corona virus. The total number of infected people across the globe is nearing 1 million and death toll of nearly 50 thousand (until first week of April). The novel corona virus, now known as SARS-CoV-2, has spread from Wuhan, China, to every continent on the Earth except Antarctica. The World Health Organization (WHO) officially changed their classification of the situation from a public health emergency of intern
ational concern to a pandemic on March 11.As a scientist, I was requested my peers to share some basic information, which I too consider, my prime responsibility. Based on some of the queries that I received, and information that I had from various authentic resources I am sharing the information in the form of FAQs with all in a hope that it will bring a general awareness among my peers.
FAQs
1. What is corona infection and how it is caused?
It is simple viral infection like common flu (sardi-jukam type) which often happens during the change of weather mostly among individuals. But, unlike common flu it has few differences like
a. It is transmitted at a much higher rate from one person to another
b. It has no cure till date (while various common flue have some vaccines and drugs available already)
c. It affects lungs to a greater degree if left untreated
How corona infection is caused and how virus affects the body – Biology behind infection
2. Why there is so much panic about the disease? Is world going to end?
There is no need of panic, actually it is due to repeatedly viewing news channels and reports and becoming sensitive to various messages on whatsapp and other groups, please refrain from them. However, large number of infected people and deaths have become a matter of concern for the people, which is due to the fact that governments and health agencies had no idea about the rate of its spread and could not perform proper quarantine in time. Certainly every virus has a season and effective period, which as per researcher shall end soon and thus its certainly not going to turn into an apocalypse.
3. Why lock down has been imposed and is it going to help?
Lock down has been imposed mainly to prevent rapid person-to-person infection which can spread at a very rapid rate. So keeping yourself in home and preventing any kind of contact with people roaming around can certainly reduce the rate of spread and in due course of time, its going to end. According to some scientific reports lock down effectively protects the infection spread. Right now when we can trace that who infected whom by simply asking people about their travel history, it is called stage II, but when the infection has spread to very large extent (like in US and Italy) when it is difficult to identify that who infected whom it is called Stage III. So, lock down, quarantine and isolation is for the benefit of nation, there is no need to panic and worry about this.
4. What are the common symptoms of the infection?
5. Where is the virus present and how can we kill the virus? How does hand sanitizer and soap will prevent it from spreading?
A virus is made up of a ball of oil which contain some infectious material inside that ball. As virus is a connecting link between living and non-living things, outside our body it is already dead. But these dead balls when enter any human body can again become alive. So, if we can destroy this ball like structure by some means we can protect ourselves. The virus is too small to be seen by naked eyes (1 about 10 lakh times smaller than the tip of a pin), so it may be present at any surface wherever an infected person would have touched or sneezed or made any contact. The good thing is that is not transmitted by air directly (i.e. it does not float for a long distance in air) but mostly in the form of liquid droplets that come out during sneeze or cough and quickly settles down on the surfaces.
Using soap destroy this oil like coating (outer wall) of the virus and immediately destroys it permanently after which it cannot infect. Both soap and isopropanol (sanitizer) or 70% ethanol can effectively destroy. But we should properly wash or rub it everywhere on hands and places of contact. Most alcohol drinks used for consumption does not have enough alcohol content to sterilize surfaces.
6. Where to get reliable information about progress of cases and deaths?
Reliable and approved sources for knowing more about corona are
Website of world health organization
Website of Indian council of medical research (ICMR)
Website of ministry of health and family welfare
News, whatsapp and Facebook may have fake information – beware of that
Following links can help you to track the disease in real time from authentic source.
Track global cases in real time here
Other Links
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html - CDC website
https://www.mohfw.gov.in/ - Ministry of health website
https://icmr.nic.in/content/covid-19 - ICMR website
https://www.mygov.in/covid-19/ - Lot of information and flyers for Indians in Hindi as well
7. What to do in case any symptoms develop?
In case you develop symptoms call the national helpline number and inform the health authorities. Do not try to hide the information or do not feel insecure about police action or any kind or problems. Everyone is trying to help the spread.
+91-11-23978046
8. Will I die if I develop symptoms?
No! The chances of death in the case of infection are fairly low. Only 2% of the infected people are reported to die till date, i.e. two people die in every 100 infected people. So there is no need to panic and worry too much in case unfortunately someone gets infected.
9. Will rise in temperature cause a reduction in infection?
Although there is no clear scientific evidence that increase in temperature would reduce its spread, as both warm and cold countries have been affected by this. With the mercury decreasing over the last few days and fear of coronavirus looming, experts have said there is no established correlation between the variations in temperature and spread of COVID-19.
Read Article from Scientific American
10. What is current research being done on corona?
There are thousands of labs currently working to fight this disease and find a means to cure. Both vaccines and drugs are being developed. But every drug has to be tested well in clinical trials which requires some time. So very soon vaccines or drugs shall be available if tested positive in clinical trials. At present, some of antiretroviral drugs (medicines used for curing HIV infection) and chloroquine and hydroxycholoroquine ( drugs for curing malaria) are being used by doctors on the recommendation of WHO and ICMR. Please do not buy these drugs yourself and do not consume without medical prescription, as only doctors know best dose and best time for it. (Choloroquine can affect heart adversely)
A reliable source of current update on various drugs in clinical trials can be found here
Besides drugs and vaccines, several diagnosis kits are also being developed. At present the diagnosis is performed using a molecular method called PCR (polymerase chain reaction), which takes about 4-5 hours but for preparation of reports and final approval can take about 24 hours (hence it takes time in India). However new fast kits are being developed which can perform the test in nearly 5 minutes.
SOME RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Molecular mechanism and drugs that can treat novel corona
Clinical masks are effective for protection against novel corona
Persistence of corona on various surfaces
Epidemiology of corona outbreak in 2020
Taking right measures to control Covid-19 (Lancet)
Effect of Lock down - Mathematical Model
Evolving epidemiology and transmission dynamics of coronavirus disease
Impact of travel and border control in Corona spread
The need to maintain regular physical activity while taking precautions
Pathology diagnosis and treatment of Corona virus disease
Rapid diagnosis guideline of Covid-19
Ivermectin shows potential to prevent replication of corona in vitro
Network based re purposing of drugs for corona
Hydroxychloroquine - a less toxic choice for corona treatment
Genebank sequence of novel corona
Structures of various proteins of novel corona