COVID-19: "Wuhan Wala Virus"

"COVID -19"

CHRONOLOGY

1.     FIRST  OFFICIAL REGISTRY BY WHO: As the world planned to welcome New Year on 31st December 2019, the WHO China Country Office was informed of a pneumonia of unknown cause, detected in the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China. According to the authorities, some patients were operating dealers or vendors in the Huanan Seafood market. It was called novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV)–infected pneumonia (NCIP).

2.     FIRST SAMPLING BY CHINA: Among the first 425 patients with confirmed NCIP, the median age was 59 years and 56% were male. The majority of cases (55%) with onset before January 1, 2020, were linked to the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, as compared with 8.6% of the subsequent cases. The mean incubation period was 5.2 days. In its early stages, the basic reproductive number was estimated to be 2.2. On the basis of this information, there is evidence that human-to-human transmission has occurred among close contacts since the middle of December 2019. 

3.     FIRST GUIDELINES FROM WHO: On 10th January 2020, WHO issued its first guideline on novel CoronaVirus, Developed with reference to other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, WHO issued a tool for countries to check their ability to detect and respond to a novel coronavirus. It was too late, a response.

4.     GENOME SEQUENSING BY CHINA: Whole genome sequences for the novel Coronavirus ( now named 2019-nCoV) from the Chinese authorities were shared with WHO and have also been submitted by Chinese authorities to the GISAID platform so that they can be accessed by public health authorities, laboratories and researchers.

5.     FIRST CASE OUTSIDE CHINA: Officials of Ministry of Health, Thailand, confirmed a case of the novel coronavirus in Thailand. It was not unexpected that cases of the novel coronavirus would emerge outside of China and reinforces why WHO calls for active monitoring and preparedness in other countries.

(Lungs of Infected person in CT Scan)

6.     WHO’S FIELD VISIT TO WUHAN: On 21^st January 2020, a WHO delegation visited Wuhan as field visit. At the end of the visit, the Chinese Government released the primers and probes used in the test kit for the novel coronavirus to help other countries detect it. Chinese experts also shared a range of protocols that will be used in developing international guidelines, including case definitions, clinical management protocols and infection control.

7.     FIRST MEETING OF EMERGENCY COMMITTEE, WHO: On 22-23 February, the WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, convened the Emergency Committee to consider the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, with cases also reported in the Republic of Korea, Japan, Thailand and Singapore. Several Committee members considered it still too early to declare a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), given its restrictive and binary nature. On 30^th January 2020, after second meeting of emergency committee of WHO, it was declared as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC).

8.     OFFICIAL NAME: On 11 February 2020, novel coronavirus disease was officially named as COVID-19 (corona virus disease -2019).

9.     PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITIES:  on 12^th Feb. 2020, WHO launches CMT. The Crisis Management Team (CMT) mechanism brings together WHO,  OCHA,  IMO,  UNICEF,  ICAO, WFP, FAO, the World Bank and several UN Secretariat departments. Follow up guidelines were issued by WHO and supplied protective kits to African and American countries. By 22^nd Feb. 2020, around 11,000 African Health Workers were trained on COVID-19.

10.  COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION HAVOC: By early March, ignoring the cautions and guidelines of WHO, ITALY, IRAN, USA and SPAIN entered into devastating third stage of Community Transmission to become the Epicentre of Disease. Shortage of personal protective equipments, endangered the health workers worldwide. Death toll crept up due to shortage of Ventilators and N-95 masks.

(PANDAMIC SECNARIO as on 30.03.2020)

11.  “Be Ready” CAMPAIGN:  WHO launches a new social media campaign called Be Ready for COVID-19, which urges people to be safe, smart and kind. Be Safe by remembering tried & tested public health measures, like regular hand washing & staying at least 1 metre (3 feet) from anyone coughing or sneezing. These ordinary measures are extraordinarily effective at fighting COVID-19. Be Smart about COVID-19 by rejecting rumours & taking care to only share information from trusted sources. Everyone should keep informed about what is happening in their area and follow the recommendations of local authorities. Be Kind through addressing stigma and looking out for one another - especially the most vulnerable and those in isolation. Compassion can combat #COVID19.

12.  DECLARED “PANDEMIC”:  On 11^th March 2020, WHO declared COVID-19 as Pandemic Disease.

13.  # SAFE HAND CHALLANGE: On 13^th March 2020, WHO launched Safe Hand Challenge to encourage people to wash their hands with soap or alcohol based hand rubs.

14.  SOUTH EAST ASIA: The World Health Organization today called on Member states in South-East Asia Region to urgently scale-up aggressive measures to combat COVID-19, as confirmed cases cross 480, and the disease claims eight lives.

INDIA IN THE SCENE:

1.     “INDEX” CASE IN INDIA: On 30^th January 2020, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 (Viral Strain named SARS CoV-2) was documented from Thrissur (Kerala).

2.     On 22 March 2020, India observed a 14-hour voluntary public curfew at the insistence of the prime minister Shri Narendra Modi.

(JANTA CURFEW)

3.     On 23^rd March 2020, the government followed it up with lockdowns in 75 districts where COVID cases had occurred as well as all major cities. Further, on 24 March, the prime minister ordered a nationwide “lockdown” for 21 days, in concern for the safety of  the entire 1.3 billion population of India.

                                (Some pics. from 21 Day Lock down)

4.     As of 31 March 2020, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have confirmed a total of 1,251 cases, 101 recoveries, 1 migration and 32 deaths in the country. Experts suggest the number of infections could be a substantial underestimate, as India's testing rates are among the lowest in the world. The infection rate of COVID-19 in India is reported to be 1.7, significantly lower than in the worst affected countries.

5.     Some thinkers, social workers and economists, worried about the economic devastation caused by the lockdown, which has huge effects on migrant labourers, informal workers, micro and small enterprises, farmers and the self-employed, who are left with no livelihood in the absence of transportation and access to markets. For that along with Government machinery (role appraisal of Indian Police) individuals and communities are coming forward to contribute services and food for the needy.

6.     PM CARES Fund is been set up and donations from all corners are being given to support the nations cause. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has clarified that the company’s contribution to PM CARES fund over and above the minimum prescribed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) spends can be offset against their CSR Obligations of subsequent years.

(Courtesy Google image)

7.     India’s First testing kit: Ms Minal Dakhave Bhosale from Mylab discovery solutions private limited Pune, who headed the team that designed the coronavirus testing kit called Patho Detect, said it was done "in record time" - six weeks instead of three or four months. This kit gives result in two and a half hour as compared to six-seven hours by imported kits.

(Ms Minal Dakhave Bhosale)

The fight is going on. The only rule is “Never let Go” attitude. We will come out of this.
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Theory Put Forward by Some International Secret Services:

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