CORONAVIRUS has created a panic throughout the world including Pakistan; but one thing we should keep in our mind that corona virus is not harmful in any case. There are more dangerous and fatal diseases are surviving in our country and throughout the world, but we are not aware of that danger.
According to WHO report the mortality rate of diarrhea, gastroenteritis and pneumonia in new born babies is much more higher due to heart disease and there complications approx. 2 lac people die each year. In Pakistan due to breast cancer mortality rate is quite high and out of 8 women 1 dies due to this fatal disease each year. So, is the tuberculosis is another fatal killer in our country.
If we analyze these figures comparing to death toll by the corona virus since last 15 Dec 2019 to date, at the epi center of corona, Wuhan city of china only 3100 people died whereas including other countries of the world including Iran, South Korea, Japan & other far east countries and including Europe and America total death toll is very less by Corona as compared to the diseases which I have mentioned before. On the contrary, in Pakistan luckily only 5 cases have been reported up till now and they are also improving well.
Corona is basically an Italian word which means crown, as the crown has some branches at its top, so the resemblance to crown the name has been given to this virus as Corona. It was basically discovered in 1937, at that time it was discovered in poultry and poultry industry was badly affected by this disease, in human beings it was diagnosed in 1960, the main reason of spread of Corona virus in china was that people in china eat as a routine food including bats, scorpions, snakes, dogs, cats, lizards & crocodiles as their favorite dishes. Due to presence of harmful virus in these animals, Corona virus was transmitted to human beings. It is basically an animal virus and found in those animals which were the usual dishes of the common people in china. But when it changes its genes than it starts to spread in human beings. This virus was leaked/spread from Wuhan city research laboratories. From there it was reached to other cities of china.
Coronavirus has seven different types; 229E, OC43, NL63, HKUI, MERVOC, SARS-COV, N-COV 2019. First four viruses create common flu and cold, they are not more harmful and people generally used to them. In Dec 2002, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) disease was diagnosed first time in china. That resembled to Corona virus. Same is the case was MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) also spread in the large scale and it also created harmful effects in common population in Middle East. But in all these diseases the mortality rate was not more than 10 %, but when we compare all previous spread of viruses mentioned before with Corona mortality rate, it is very low only 2 %. In any patient incubation period (from infection to appearance of symptoms) is 2 – 10 days. Symptoms of Corona virus resemble with common cold and flu e.g. fever, headache & cough. In some cases of pneumonia failure of lungs is also involved.
Pregnant ladies may also be affected in some cases. We should keep in mind that this disease spread more in people having low resistant power. This is the reason people having low resistance are affected more. Virus can be spread by shake hand, sneezing, coughing & touching the face or nose time by time. By eating uncooked or half cooked meat, according to the research this virus can survive up to nine days where it is present. It is killed in 30° to 40° normally. So it can be estimated that virus will be removed on the start of hot season. We should aware of symptoms and start of disease if we have flue, fever, sneezing, rashes, in the eyes headache or fever than we should understand it may be viral attack .but we should not be panic and consult to our doctor for the confirmation of disease, and we should have few test like antibody test and PCR.
It is our bad luck this virus is spreading gradually but no proper test are available to diagnose the virus, According to WHO no exact vaccine is discovered for corona virus up till now.in market anti-viral drug are not available.Ifanybody feels that symptoms like headache,flu appearsthen for adults 2 tab of paracetamole and syrup for young children should be used in case of pneumonia we should consult any chest specialist.
In the present situation we should be aware of the facts that if we find any symptoms resembling to corona virus then we should give food to patient which increase patient resistance power like soup and juices, in case if the infection is confirmed timely it is not so dangerous and virus may be treated well.Patient should be kept in comfortable environment and patient should avoid tiredness and smoking .wash your hands time by time.
Wear masks gloves and keep your hands dry. Don’t go near the pets like dog’s cats and other pet animals. If any mother is infected to this virus so she should continue breast feeding because mother’s milk has antibodies which protect the infant from the disease.
—Dr. Jamal Nasir President’s Pride of Performance [email protected]
