Join hands to battle virus: expert

‘Interdisciplinary research programme needed to control coronavirus’

Experts have called for interdisciplinary research and strategies to control the spread of novel coronavirus in Kerala. The first case in the State was confirmed on Thursday.

Of the several strains of coronavirus, around six are pathogenic, including the viruses that caused the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in 2002 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) during 2012. Compared to SARS and MERS infection, mortality is less than 3% for coronavirus though its morbidity rate is very high.

“It may be due to sudden genetic variation of the strain, which transformed the virus into a virulent highly pathogenic form,” says T.P. Sethumadhavan, former Director of Entrepreneurship of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. Viruses are transmitted between animals and people.

From snakes?

“Even though coronavirus infection will come under zoonotic diseases the real animal source of the disease is not yet ascertained. Researchers of Alabama University, U.S., suggest that genomics of both novel coronavirus is similar to snakes, thus suggesting a chance of infection from snakes.”

“Coronavirus was discovered six decades ago. Though a lot of epidemiological studies on the virus in animals have been held, studies in humans are comparatively fewer,” says Mr. Sethumadhavan.

Developing vaccines

No vaccine is available for humans against this infection, but there are vaccines for dogs. But it will take at least six months to develop a potent vaccine. The current crisis is the fast pace in the human-to-human transmission. The World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency. Taking into account the scarcity of epidemiological studies on coronavirus infection, an interdisciplinary research programme, incorporating medical and veterinary science researchers along with public health experts, including allied health care systems, is needed. Initially it can be in the form of rapid appraisal studies, Mr. Sethumadhavan said.