Coronavirus has spread across the world reaffirming the fact that health is not only a localised problem to be dealt by one country but a global issue. In the current scenario, the whole world is vulnerable.
This viral infection has flu like symptoms which can also lead to difficulty in breathing and ultimately the patient can also die. There is currently no vaccine.
The scientists are still not sure how it spread to humans from bats or other suepected animals. There are two theories- one is that some person has consumed the meat of a carrier bat or was infected through the urine or stool or the carrier.
Coronavirus was previously never isolated in humans and emerged first in China, in the city of Wuhan in December 2019. It has now spread in over 100 countries of the world and has infected more than one lakh people within two months. It has killed more than 3,500 people accounting to 3.5 percent mortality rate. There is apprehension that it may further spread and may affect the whole world.
Health, education and nutrition are the fundamental needs of any individual. Health, out of the three, is important in every stage of life because only a healthy person can achieve the desired goal and make their life better. Infection is not new in the humans.
There is scientific proof that origin of virus and bacteria is noted far before the origin of human species.
Infection is not new to our country too. It is believed that we all are infected with one or other virus or bacteria at some point of time in our lives. The main cause and spread of infection in our country is either ignorance or lack of awareness. We are not giving much importance to personal hygiene and public sanitation as we should.
As India is a tropical country hence there is frequent change in weather. The incidence of common cold is widespread which we see on a daily basis. The rate of infection is directly related to the personal hygiene and public sanitation.
Although, even if we have the highest sanitation and hygiene standards, the bacterial and viral diseases can never finish off but definitely the incidence of clinical infection and spread can be controlled. The operation theatres are disinfected with the aim of reducing the number of bacteria and virus to an almost negligible count so that the possibility of the infection becomes minimum.
It should be understood that we all share the same environment in our family but it is usually one of us who gets the infection, not the others. The body resistance can be improved with good diet. There is no specific treatment for coronavirus yet apart from the general method of increasing the body resistance and giving supportive treatment. Taking a balanced, nutritious diet, maintaining personal hygiene and sanitation can prevent coronavirus infection.
Coronavirus has elicited the attention and response of the whole world. China has proved and world has agreed that the principle of isolation is quite effective in controlling and containing the spread of coronavirus.
The Chinese government has isolated nine million population of Wuhan. If anybody was suspected, then he or she was investigated and if found positive for coronavirus- admitted in the hospital. China has controlled the spread of this infection significantly with this measure.We would like to emphasise the importance of isolation here. Isolation is not a new trend but has been going on in our country for centuries. Due to tradition of isolation, the mother and new born babies were kept in isolation in the cleanest area of the house. Nobody was allowed to meet the mother and the baby but only the designated lady called dai.
The aim of isolation was to keep the mother and baby in a safe and clean area to prevent or avoid any infection, knowing very well that the body resistance of the mother after delivery and new born baby is the least at that time.
If we analyse seriously, that if there is a boundary for each house then why should not there should be a natural boundary for a city so that cities can be separated from each other.Contrary to the above principle, there is significant crowd in our hospitals. There is a social trend in our country, there are many friends and relatives who don't visit the patients home for years together even for social ceremonies like marriage and death but if that person is admitted in the hospital then they will definitely visit.
This kind of crowd not only creates problem for the doctor and hospital staff but the patient also unknowingly.
Here we would like to emphasise that the incidence of corona virus infection is not the last of such epidemic outbreaks but considering the situation and circumstances of our country then there is fair possibility of similar incidence to occur in the near future as well.
This situation makes one wonder if it would be sensible for policy makers and bureaucrats of our country and that of other countries to focus on the value of a natural boundary of at least of few kilometre either of natural forest or manmade greenery between two cities which can work as the isolation areas and act as a wall between these cities, so that god forbid if there is a similar health emergency like coronavirus epidemic, or man-made tragedy like terrorism at least they can be controlled if needed. This will enable protection of people of affected cities and other cities.
It is said that coronavirus can survive from a few hours to five days on surface of any floor or of any objects like chair, table, door knobs, phone etc. They all should be decontaminated with the commercially available anti microbial agents as a precautionary measure.
The tradition of hand washing has been a practice followed for centuries in our country.
We would like to quote that the tradition of hand washing can be seen at any religious place in our country. Hand and feet washing is quite a common social tradition which is very prevalent in citizens of Asian countries irrespective of religion.As the infection is spread by coughing, sneezing or touching infected objects, all should cover the mouth and nose while sneezing/coughing and wash hands frequently.
Hand washing is the most effective measure to prevent infection and can save many more lives which cannot be saved by any expensive machine and medicine. We all are stakeholders and should follow the dictum that prevention is better than cure.
(Dr BKS Sanjay is an orthopaedic and spine surgeon, and the founding president of State Chapter of Indian Orthopaedic Association.Dr Gaurav Sanjay is an orthopaedic and joint replacement surgeon based in Dehradun.)