Editorial
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) : Time to Act and Not Panic Sk Md Mamunur Rahman Malik (World Health Organization)
An outbreak of novel coronavirus, now named as coronavirus disease (COVID-19), which possibly originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China [1] has spread internationally at an unprecedented speed and scale affecting more 114 countries as of 11 March 2020 and triggering the fear of a possible pandemic. The virus was identified in December 2019 as a novel coronavirus [2], and full genomic characterization of the virus was done at a rapid speed too [3] Although, the phylogenetic make up and characteristics of this virus make it distinct from other coronavirus family such as the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, both these viruses are closely related and belong to the same coronavirus family [4]. After about two months since the virus was identified, the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the disease caused by this novel virus show that the severity of COVID-19 may be less than SARS and MERS. However, the rapidly increasing number of cases and the scale and speed with which human-to-human transmission has occurred since the virus was identified suggests that COVID-19 is more contagious and transmissible than both SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV [5]. Currently, we see three different patterns of transmission globally. Countries, experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 that are rapidly spreading, countries reported only handful of imported cases sporadically and countries reporting locally transmitted cases in slow progression amongst the close contacts of imported cases. The experience gathered from these countries on the outbreak progression show that the countries can expect a single travel-associated imported case and in few days may report more cases amongst the close contacts of initial first case resulting in one or small chains of transmission provided the initial cases or the first imported case was detected early. The other types of pattern has been seen when the country’s surveillance system fails to pick up or detect the first or initial few cases early on resulting in “cluster” of cases from multiple chains of transmission ultimately leading to community transmission and a rapidly progressing outbreak. On the downside of this experience with this outbreak also shows that the Governments are and will be able to minimize both deaths from coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and prevent multiple chains of local transmission if aggressive containment measures are put in place surrounding the first few detected cases for suppressing the virus spread. In most of the countries, containment measures such as isolation of infected patients, aggressive contact tracing and applying quarantine measures of those developing further symptoms amongst the close contacts have prevented the onward transmission of the virus. Some countries have also used mitigation measures such as social distancing in combination with isolation and containment measures. The world is still learning on this virus. Some of the characteristics of the virus including infectiveness, and transmissibility of this new virus is poorly understood. What is clearly evident is that this virus can be defeated and following introduction, the onward transmission can be stopped or interrupted. A combination of three early measures- such as early detection, early response and early containment can slow down the progression of the virus and stop the epidemic. These measures that have shown to have the greatest impact on slowing down the course of the epidemic is truly encouraging. The science and evidence, thus gathered, should be used to fight with this epidemic. There is no need to panic but time to use the right evidence in a comprehensive meaner aggressively, timely and effectively. The history is with the mankind. The world has defeated many outbreaks and pandemic and certainly this ongoing outbreak is containable. The experience from China and South Korea have proved it.
The COVID-19 outbreak is the latest threat to global health. Its emergence and continued transmission is also a stark reminder that a threat from an emerging and re-emerging infectious disease is a threat everywhere necessitating the urgent need for improved vigilance and constant global surveillance as well as building the core public health capacities for International Health Regulations (2005) to detect prevent and respond to emerging health threats.
Reference
[1] Li Q, Guan X, Wu P, Wang X, Zhou L, Tong Y, et al. Early Transmission Dynamics in Wuhan, China, of Novel Coronavirus–Infected Pneumonia. N Engl J Med 2020. doi:10.1056/nejmoa2001316.
[2] Fauci AS, Lane HC, Redfield RR. Covid-19 – Navigating the Uncharted. N Engl J Med 2020:NEJMe2002387. doi:10.1056/NEJMe2002387.
[3] Wang C, Horby PW, Hayden FG, Gao GF. A novel coronavirus outbreak of global health concern. Lancet 2020;395:470–3. doi:10.1016/S0140- 6736(20)30185-9.
[4] Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W, Li X, Yang B, Song J, et al. A Novel Coronavirus from Patients with Pneumonia in China, 2019. N Engl J Med 2020. doi:10.1056/nejmoa2001017.
[5] Chan JFW, Yuan S, Kok KH, To KKW, Chu H, Yang J, et al. A familial cluster of pneumonia associated with the 2019 novel coronavirus indicating person-to-person transmission: a study of a family cluster. Lancet 2020;395:514–23. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30154-9.
Editorial Board: cliquez ici
Original Articles:
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- Place de la TOT (transobturator tape technique) dans la prise en charge de l’incontinence urinaire chez la femme: Expérience du service d’Urologie de l’Hôpital Militaire Mohammed V de Rabat: cliquez ici
- Le trachome chez les populations les plus désavantagées du Sud-Est du Maroc: cliquez ici
- The psychic quality of life of diabetics in Morocco: about 140 cases: cliquez ici
- Exploratory study of risk factors for congenital malformations in Morocco: cliquez ici
- Community and hospital-acquired infections of the genital tract in a Moroccan neonatal intensive care unit: cliquez ici
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Reviews:
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- Quel apport du laser diode dans le traitement parodontal non chirurgical? / What Laser diode’s contribution in non-surgical periodontal treatment?: cliquez ici
- Role of inflammatory pathways in development and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer: cliquez ici
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Case Report:
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- Alveolar crestal approach for maxillary sinus floor elevation: A Case Report: cliquez ici
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