Precautions Needed To Fight Novel Corona Virus: ICBS Director

Precaution is prerequisite to fight against the emerging threat of the 2019 novel corona virus (2019-nCoV), said Prof Dr M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi (KU) on Tuesday

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Jan, 2020 ) :Precaution is prerequisite to fight against the emerging threat of the 2019 novel corona virus (2019-nCoV), said Prof Dr M. Iqbal Choudhary, Director of International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi (KU) on Tuesday.

Chairing a meeting at the National Institute of Virology, he also mentioned that there was no pathological laboratory performing diagnostic test in the country to ascertain or confirm presence of corona virus infections.

Dr. Muhammad Rashid, senior research officer of the institute of virology, works under the Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research (PCMD), said Corona viruses are a group of viruses that generally exist and maintain their life cycle in animals like camels, bats, cats, snakes and other wild animals.

"There are but seven corona viruses known to infect human," he said mentioning that well-known examples of human corona viruses are SARS and MERS and viral outbreak of both had caused significant losses at their time of eruption.

The researcher mentioned that the newly emerged corona virus named as 2019-nCoV is the third highly-virulent entry into the humans.

Other scientists present on the occasion suggested need to monitor and control all immigrants and visitors, livestock and goods at entry points.

People at all international airports were recommended to be scanned for temperature while suspected individuals be examined in isolation.

Prof. Iqbal Choudhary referring to National Institute of Virology said it was working to produce quality researches and researchers who could play their due role in the area of research and development in the country.

Participants of the meeting agreed that 2019-nCoV infection may cause mild to severe respiratory disease and that initial clinically presentation include fever, dry cough, myalgia (muscle pain) and fatigue and gradually progress into severe productive cough (a cough that produces phlegm), episodes of headache, hemoptysis (coughing up blood) and occasional diarrhea.

In case of suspected invasion the person affected needed to be kept in isolation and treated within the confined premises.

It was mentioned that neither any vaccine is available for nCoV nor any anti-viral drug found effective to fight against the viral infection.