Category: Coronavirus

For around 100,000 years we as human beings have relied on our immune system for survival such as withstanding the bubonic plague in the late 1300s or the Cocoliztli epidemic in the middle of the 1500s. The usage of our human immune system has enabled us as humans to persist through evolution, making our body more robust against fatal pathogens.

Nevertheless, recent scientific discoveries have allowed us to survive certain pathogens that our bodies could not withstand surviving, for example, the vaccine to smallpox was created in 1788 and has saved around 5 million lives annually, or the vaccine for the poliovirus which was introduced in 1955 and prevented an estimate of 1.5 childhood deaths.

Scientific research and development have supported the human race to fight against destruction, it has enabled countless people to have a second chance in life. With the aid of scientific discoveries, we possess ways to modify genomes in order of preventing certain genetic diseases or physical mutations that could affect the child’s life.

In recent times the world has been going through critical conditions, an epidemic that has no solution, the coronavirus. The coronavirus is a virus that first struck a city in China called Wuhan. The first case was recorded on the 17 of November 2019 by the Chinese government weeks before they announced it from emerging as a new virus. The emergence of the new virus is not known, however, there have been speculations of the virus being transmitted from an animal that has already contracted the virus and was sold in a market in China, and from there it has reached and spread around the globe.

The coronavirus is a respiratory disease that originates from a group of viruses termed as Coronaviridae which are respiratory diseases. Although the cousins of the coronavirus are merely useless with flu-like symptoms coronavirus targets multiple areas in the body such as the lungs, kidneys and livers. Unfortunately, the coronavirus has infected approximately 199 countries around the world, with the United States of America as the most leading number of infected citizens with more than 1,300 deaths.

Moreover, scientific research and development have allowed us to decrease the coronavirus mortality rates around the world. Considering that the coronavirus attacks multiple areas in the body, scientific research has allowed us to make machines that mimic the bodies processes in order of surviving. Such machines are respiratory ventilators and liver and kidney dialysis machines have helped the mortality rate to decrease and the number of recoveries to increase.

On 9/11, Americans discovered we are vulnerable to calamities we thought only happened in distant lands. The 2008 financial crisis told us we also can suffer the calamities of past eras, like the economic meltdown of the Great Depression. Now, the 1918 flu pandemic is a sudden specter in our lives. This loss of innocence, is a new way of being-in-the-world that we can expect to change our doing-in-the-world. We know now that touching things, being with other people and breathing the air in an enclosed space can be risky. How quickly that awareness recedes will be different for different people, but it can never vanish completely for anyone who lived through this year. It could become second nature to recoil from shaking hands or touching our faces—and we might all find we can’t stop washing our hands.

The comfort of being in the presence of others might be replaced by a greater comfort with absence, especially with those we don’t know intimately. Instead of asking, “Is there a reason to do this online?” we’ll be asking, “Is there any good reason to do this in person?”—and might need to be reminded and convinced that there is. The paradox of online communication will be ratcheted up: It creates more distance, yes, but also more connection, as we communicate more often with people who are physically farther and farther away—and who feel safer to us because of that distance.

America has long equated patriotism with the armed forces. But you can’t shoot a virus. Those on the frontlines against coronavirus aren’t conscripts, mercenaries or enlisted men; they are our doctors, nurses, pharmacists, teachers, caregivers, store clerks, utility workers, small-business owners and employees. Like Li Wenliang and the doctors of Wuhan, many are suddenly saddled with unfathomable tasks, compounded by an increased risk of contamination and death they never signed up for. We will give them guaranteed health benefits and corporate discounts, and build statues and have holidays for this new class of people who sacrifice their health and their lives for ours. Perhaps, too, we will finally start to understand patriotism more as cultivating the health and life of your community, rather than blowing up someone else’s community.

Maybe the demilitarization of American patriotism and love of community will be one of the benefits to come out of this whole awful mess. Not only that, this “common enemy” scenario, in which people begin to look past their differences when faced with a shared external threat. COVID-19 is presenting us with a formidable enemy that will not distinguish between reds and blues, and might provide us with fusion-like energy and a singularity of purpose to help us reset and regroup. Societal shocks can break different ways, making things better or worse. But given our current levels of tension, this scenario suggests that now is the time to begin to promote more constructive patterns in our cultural and political discourse. The time for change is clearly ripening. One group of Americans has lived through a transformational epidemic in recent memory: gay men.

Of course, HIV/AIDS was (and is) different in all kinds of ways from coronavirus, but one lesson is likely to apply: Plagues drive change. Partly because our government failed us, gay Americans mobilized to build organizations, networks and know-how that changed our place in society and have enduring legacies today. The epidemic also revealed deadly flaws in the healthcare system, and it awakened us to the need for the protection of marriage—revelations which led to landmark reforms. People are finding new ways to connect and support each other in adversity; they are sure to demand major changes in the health-care system and maybe also the government; and they’ll become newly conscious of interdependency and communi

The sudden outbreak and fast – unexpected and underestimated – spread of the new Coronavirus has indeed stunned millions of people everywhere who weren’t at all prepared to face such a disease especially since the virus is of unknown origin and has caused hundreds of deaths til date in many countries. The Coronavirus has stirred up various and unequal public reactions that range from resorting to the well-known social media outlets to educate and advise people on how to avoid infection, to creating memes, caricatures and songs to encourage people for example to wash their hands as correctly as possible! Most health experts, doctors and pharmacists keep on stressing that washing the hands properly for over 20 seconds, couple of times a day, is the most effective and important way to avoid the possible Corona infection.

Of course, washing your hands correctly isn’t the only defensive measure you should undertake; it’s recommended that you avoid crowded places like dense supermarkets, parties, malls and college activities in an attempt to lessen your chances of encountering or engaging with someone who’s in fact infected with Corona. In addition, you should not touch public surfaces including door knobs, stair rails, water faucets, elevator buttons and other similar surfaces.

However, washing – and drying – your hands properly remains the most important of all steps in such a difficult situation. Most people are ignorant of the right process of washing the hands which seems a bit unreasonable since social media apps – YouTube for example – are full of tutorials – step-by-step – instructions and mini clips showing how to wash your hands thoroughly without missing any important part – the thumbs!

The first thing you should start considering is that you shouldn’t definitely spend the 20 seconds washing the most obvious parts of your hands; you must start paying more attention to your thumbs, the back of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers, your fingertips and under your fingernails of course. And don’t forget about the drying process as well because paper towels are considered to be the best and most hygienic way to dry your hands without picking up any germs or bacteria all over again!

People out there are thankfully starting to pay more attention to washing their hands, but many of them are either in a hurry or they end up picking germs and bacteria immediately after washing their hands because they touched the faucet! So, you should keep in mind that you must spend more than 20 seconds washing your hands correctly from wrists to fingernails, focusing on all parts mentioned above. And if you happen to carry a hand sanitizer, check the product’s label to ensure it contains more than 60% alcohol and do not ever neglect washing your hands multiple times a day even if you have a hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes which come as a plan B – in cases where water and soap are unfortunately unavailable.

Meningitis and coronavirus are contagious infections which are able to spread through outbreaks and infect millions of people easily. They result in very dangerous consequences including death. Due to the severe danger of meningitis and coronavirus, this paper is going to explain the definitions, pathophysiology, causing microorganisms, transmission, and the necessary precautions that can be implemented to prevent these fatal infections

Firstly, the paper will focus on the definition of both infections. Meningitis is an infection that results from many sources including bacteria, protozoa, viruses, drugs or cancer. This infection leads to inflammation in the meninges, which are three membranes enclosing both the brain and the spinal cord. The treatment of this infection is related to the cause of its development. (1) Coronavirus is a fatal infectious disease caused by any virus of coronaviridae family. This virus can infect both people and animals. There are several causing agents that include SARS, MERS and COVID-19 which has recently appeared in several outbreaks in different countries of the world including China, Iran, Italy, Spain and the US leading to thousands of casualties. The infection leads to respiratory illness that may end with death. (2)

Secondly, the paper will explain the pathophysiology of these infections. Bacterial meningitis develops when bacteria get into the cerebrospinal fluid and grow there until an inflammation develops in both the cerebrospinal fluid and the close tissues of the brain. There happen several neurological consequences including death that result from several factors such as the leukocyte resulting from responding to the systemic inflammatory, and stimulating the immune cells. (3) Coronavirus, especially COVID-19, is mainly a respiratory infection because the respiratory system is the main target of the virus when the virus enters the body. Therefore, when the virus reaches the lungs and replicates there, it results in serious developments including severe pneumonia and severe cardiac injury that require the infected people to be administered to the intensive care units. (4)

Thirdly, the paper will investigate the causing microorganisms of these infections. The causing microorganisms of meningitis may be bacteria or viruses. Bacterial meningitis rarely occurs due to several types of bacteria including meningococcal bacteria, pneumococcal bacteria, and Haemophilus influenzae type b ( Hib) bacteria. The viral meningitis is the most common and results from various types of viruses such as the enteroviruses, the mumps virus, and the herpes simplex virus. (5 ) Coronavirus results from a single-stranded RNA virus which has many causative agents including SARS, MERS and COVID-19. The particles of coronavirus are enclosed by a lipid outer layer known as an envelope. The virus seems spherical in shape with a crown of spikes on its surface. The novel virus COVID-19 is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2 that has appeared lately in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The RNA genomes of these viruses are able to replicate through enzymes. There have not been any available vaccines that can stop this fatal from destroying the human respiratory system yet. (6)

Fourthly, the paper is going to discuss the different methods of transmission of these infections. The transmission of meningitis can spread in many ways. The meningitis that is caused by bacteria can easily infect people because there are several types of bacteria that live in the human body and the environment around us. In general, bacteria can be harmless. However, when they reach the bloodstream, they are able to get to the spinal cord and the brain to infect them. These bacteria spread through close contact in some situations when an infected person coughs or sneezes. There are some secretions such as saliva that carry these bacteria. (7) On the other hand, the viral meningitis spreads through contacting people who carry the causing viruses in the nose or throat. The recurrence of this infection is possible. (5) Coronavirus, particularly COVID-19, is suspected to have zoonotic origin due to its first appearance in a market of animals in Wuhan City in China. Research has suggested that two snake species are responsible for the spread of this novel virus, but mammals and birds are thought of as the main reservoirs of this virus. Recent research has shown that transmission among people easily spreads through direct contact. An infected person transmits the infection through coughing or sneezing. Reports do not show any evidence of the possibility of transmission from a mother to the fetus, but it is not clear if the infection can transmit through vaginal birth. (4)

Finally, the paper is going to focus on the necessary precautions that are implemented in hospitals to prevent these fatal infections. There are many standard precautions applied to prevent any infections resulting from blood, secretions, body fluids and mucous membranes. Performing hand hygiene is very necessary when contacting blood and body fluids. Hand washing should be conducted by using a non- antimicrobial product and an antimicrobial agent. Healthcare providers should wear clean gloves while contacting blood and body fluids. Preventing infections of the respiratory system, the skin or eyes requires wearing a mask. Healthcare providers should also wear water-resistant gowns to prevent any microbes or germs from attaching to the clothes. The team of healthcare providers has to use clean tools and equipment, and then put the disposable items in the correct container soon after use. Preventing the transmission of airborne infections requires several other precautions in addition to the standard precautions. The hospital must have isolation rooms in order not to pass the infection from the client to other places in the hospital. The respirator masks of N95 are very necessary for healthcare team to protect them from any airborne infection. The movement of the client must be limited outside the isolation room to prevent the spread of infections. As for contacting the clients, this procedure requires many precautions that include the presence of an isolation room for the client or sitting similar patients and conditions in the same ward. Healthcare providers have to wear gloves before contacting the patients and remove them before leaving the room in order to prevent themselves from catching infections. After that, they must perform hand hygiene after removing the gloves. Moreover, contacting surfaces that may be infected requires the healthcare team to wear protecting gowns to prevent any infections from attaching to their clothes. It is also very necessary to take off the gown before they leave the isolation room. They must limit the movement of patients outside the isolation room to prevent the spread of any disease. The use of clean equipment must only with one client to prevent any probable infections. (8)

In conclusion, meningitis and coronavirus are very thorny and dangerous infections that are able to easily spread through various viruses and bacteria when people contact an infected person. They affect body organs in a serious way that may result in death. These infections can be prevented if the essential precautions are applied in hospitals and at home. Therefore, people should be aware of the serious outcomes of these infections in order to learn how to prevent them in the appropriate methods.

Faced with the Covid-19 pandemic, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about wars. The parallels between the same and our reality are eerie. This Global Pandemic has similarities with the wartime economies. As with war, a percentage of our population is fighting on the front, in this case, Medical practitioners. We are facing an invisible enemy in this war on the home front. The destructive and alarming situation is reminding countries of the importance of public health.

During the Vietnam war, Hanoi dismissed that success would be military combat and believed that the outcome could be achieved away from the battlefield. North Vietnamese used guerrilla warfare tactics and a network of tunnels to covertly move supplies and house troops and lay traps and mount surprise attacks. The rail system and its ports were used to receive foreign military aid shipments. They mobilized their existing resources and equipment to come up with alternative strategies to survive and defeat Americans until their eventual withdrawal in 1972.

Today we aren’t producing guns and tanks but we are facing a task to manufacture and stock medical supplies/equipment to battle the contagion. The country is trying to use its resources to tackle this unprecedented challenge. From the use of rational use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to defense forces building more quarantine centers and the Government turning trains and stadiums for the same, to domestic companies like My Lab developing India’s first testing kit and Diageo India pledging to produce hand sanitizers to help cope with the demand. Various Indian companies have united to help citizens, and the Government fights the Covid-19 outbreak in the country by contributing funds. India is focusing entirely inwards and trying to mobilize all its stakeholders to fight this pandemic with limited resources.

We are also seeing that nothing like this virus has ever hit the world at this rapid scale and speed incurring unimaginable human costs. People didn’t take social distancing very seriously across the world, and that is costing them their lives directly or indirectly. Similarly, during the Vietnam War, the Americans took the logistical terrain of Vietnam for granted, and that added majorly to the defeat of the US against North America.

Shutdown fears, work from home has driven demand and induced hoarding of consumer goods, even though retailers and FMGC Companies have assured that there is no shortage and they will speed up supplies at the earliest. During the Vietnam War, goods such as bread, cake, ham, and lima beans were rationed as they were deemed essential to the war effort. In his books, Vietnam: An Epic Tragedy 1945-1975, Max Hastings talks about how C4 explosive was used to heat the ration tin by punching holes in it. Hoarding collapses the fair price system. And now, pictures of empty supermarket shelves show that fear has won over our economic thinking.

In such situations, insurgents rely on neighboring countries with which they share good relations for help and sanctuary. North Vietnam was helped by China and South Vietnam was helped by the US. For dealing with Coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also mooted an integrated regional approach. At the same time, President Trump calling COVID 19 as the ‘China Virus’ and China not very far behind in calling the crisis as the handwork of American Conspiracy reflect the traps of geopolitics.

The virus hasn’t caused mass destruction of property and equipment. Thus, there will not be any rebuilding effort. And as the case of young people dying in the war, it’s the elderly who are more vulnerable because of the virus.

Between 1961 and 1971, mixtures of herbicides were utilized by the US military forces against the North Vietnamese forces. Agent Orange was used to deprive Vietnamese forces of crops to eat and forest canopy in which they hid. This herbicide hurt the Vietnam foliage and animal life; the horrors of which are believed to exist even today. Whereas, India breathes easier because of the lockdowns ordered to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In New Delhi, the world’s most polluted capital city, the Air Quality Index sank to 45 (good air) as compared to averaged AQI around 161 (unhealthy) in March 2019, according to IQAir.

Hence, the resemblance of the situation with the war in no way asserts that recovery would follow the same trajectory. We can only hope that people follow the guidelines issued by the Health Ministry and the WHO to avoid the spread of the virus until a vaccine is discovered. With a cure also found, there are many barriers before global immunization is feasible. In times like these, social distancing is a must to slow the spread of the virus to manageable levels. It’s high time we get this clear as Trump has got it too. Only recently has President Trump seemed to realize the gravity of the situation-“I am a wartime President. This is a war. There’s a different kind of war that we have ever had.” To which John Oliver said, “It’s like the Vietnam War only this time Trump is actually taking part”.

An outbreak of Coronavirus in Wuhan, China started in 2019 caused a pandemic to the world. Corona virus is one of the pathogen found in animals especially bats and it is a new kind of its evolution found before. This new virus causes infections to the respiratory system and most of it; it cost the world with death. It is found in bats and perfectly safe when it is conducted by bats, but unfortunately it is very fatal when human is infected. Currently, around 170 thousands people affected and it causes almost 4000 death recorded.

This virus outbreak started from Wuhan, China caused by taken of exotics food. Corona virus or Covid-19 infections spreads around the world by touch contact or any simple social connection including shake hands. Coronaviruses (CoV) are a broad family of viruses that cause diseases ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses are zoonotic which means that they are spread between humans and animals.

Research has shown that SARS-CoV has been spread from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans (WHO, 2020). General signs of infection include respiratory problems, fever, cough, shortness of breath and trouble breathing. Several known coronaviruses occur in animals not yet affected by humans. In more extreme cases, infection may cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, renal failure, and even death.

Standard precautions to avoid transmission of infection include daily hand washing, covering of mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing, careful preparation of meat and eggs. Avoid direct contact with those with signs of respiratory disease, such as coughing and sneezing.

Visit Malaysia Year 2020

Malaysia is one of the famous Southeast Asian country developing parts of the Malay Peninsula and the Borneo Islands. It’s well known and popular for the beaches, rainforests and multiracial country which consist of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural presence. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of the nation, which is the home to colonial buildings, busy shopping locations such as Bukit Bintang and skyscrapers such as the iconic, 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers.

Malaysia is also blessed with beautiful sceneries that can be experienced through natural tourism sector such as Mount Chemerong-Berembun-Langsir which has many waterfalls view to be shown to the world and successfully welcomed 25 thousands natural tourist throughout a year. Malaysia welcomes nearly 25 million tourists every year, and for good cause – our colourful, multi-cultural and multi-religious country is a multi-faceted gem that triggers much interest in its quiet and natural attractions as in its wild, thrilling.

Visit Malaysia Year is a campaign rally that is being held from now and then to reveal the best of what Malaysia has to offer as a leading tourist destination. Through tourism, Malaysia was likely to generate about 100 billion Ringgit which is very influential and most of the part of the nation’s income. Speaking of Visit Malaysia Year 2020, Malaysia is able to welcome 30 million tourists in this particular year which needed very influential promotion activities all around the world.

This Visit Malaysia Year 2020 was originally proposed to unite all the industry players to achieve this common goal and to attract tourist as many as they could to visit Malaysia and to experience the warmth of Malaysian’s welcome through culture and hospitality. This business added 14.9% to the national economy in 2017 compared to 10.4% in 2005. Meanwhile, the number of workers working in the tourism industry has rose to 3.4 million in 2017, from 1.5 million in 2005. The number of workers working in the tourism business accounted for 23.2% of the overall workforce. (Tourism Malaysia, 2020).

How Coronavirus outbreaks affects Visit Malaysia Year 2020

Visit Malaysia Year 2020 is negatively challenged by currently Coronavirus outbreak throughout all over the world affecting the tourism campaign that has been planned and worked out by the nation. This impact has not just affecting Malaysia, but most of the countries that are very famous in the tourism activities. This problem also caused multiple implications such as loss of income and so the working opportunity as it shuts down thousands of working opportunity. Speaking at the Tourism Leadership Forum held in Sandton, north of Johannesburg on Monday, Kubayi-Ngubane said on the African continent, cases have been reported in Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria and Tunisia. (SAnews, 2020, March 10).

During this outbreak, Malaysia is planning several ways and ideas to turn out in a very effective outcome to carry Malaysia tourism despite this outbreak with a very safety measures. Few implementations have been talk all over the nation on how to carry out this tourism promotion when the current outbreak is at the red par and at a very dangerous level. So, in terms of business and nation’s wealth, the tourism should be promoted after all in any situation because of its contribution towards the nation’s wealth.

Strategic Plans on How to Make VMY2020 a Success

There are several safety precautions on tourist’s health and to sustain the local people’s health during this outbreak. It is very important to let tourist from various country to still entering the nation while maintaining the health position and not to exposed to the current fatal disease carried by the international tourist. To make this happen, the nation need to practice these practicalities on how to contain this outbreak while making the Visit Malaysia Year 2020 a success.

The most important thing to contain this disease to enter Malaysia is by the restriction and precautionary at the nation’s entrance and airport. The measure that has been implemented by several countries such as USA and few developed countries to stop this outbreak from spreading through the national entrance. Airports typically perform thermal screening of passengers to reveal infections such as swine flu or influenza. This procedure is carried out via mass-screening technologies that measure temperature through thermal imaging and temperature-detection equipment (Guardian, January 2020). The symptoms are not easy to be detected but the closest method that we can make is to avoid and stop tourist with high body temperature from easily entering the country and this thermal screening can stop them at early stage. After thermal screening, the airport can implement the quarantining measures as the same as USA which previously has set up new 11 new quarantine camps next to their airports. This initiative also strengthen by the installation of new 11 thousands of hand sanitizers in all airports especially around doors and every item which is in needed of direct contact like door knobs and escalators holders. In late January, airport operators’ representative body Airport Council International (ACI) World published a bulletin urging local authorities and operators to put in place an airport plan that covers aspects such as communication, screening, entry and exit controls and coordination with the health authority. The organisation also put together a set of guidelines for the wider industry to refer to as the outbreak continues to spread (Airport-Technology, 2020).

Second strategic plan is to enhance the disclosure to all the safeguard travellers in order to maintain the health issues domestically. To make this a reality, the Tourism Malaysia or the ministry should play a part in advancing an Established Tourism Recovery Action Committee to monitor the development of tourist in and out of the country from time to time. This committee should be more likely on giving advices and clarifications to all the visitors about safeguarding to their personal health during the tourism. This is all about preventing the infection to be spread widely without any preventions method. According to Tourism Malaysia, the country is prepared to handle the virus outbreak. It highlights that Malaysia is ranked third in Asia for the Most Prepared Country for a pandemic, after Thailand and South Korea in the Global Health Security Index 2019. “Malaysia strives to continue strengthening our commitment in ensuring the safety of our people and tourists visiting our country and we would like to give assurance that Malaysia is safe to travel,” Tourism Malaysia. (Chester Chin, 2020, February 11). As this committee will be very important to the national tourism, they are best to be equipped with medical kit and other important technicalities to ensure the ongoing tourism will be more likely. They will be equipped with non-contact assist such as the CPR technique will no longer been used and another portable oxygen supply kit will be used to replace mouth to mouth breathing assist. Other necessity such as hand sanitizers will also be easily access and this will prevent the outbreak to be more serious carried by the tourist. This committee also play their role on keeping eye on the small group of tourist as they will be only allowed to travel in small group of 6-8 people only. Then, the safeguard will be watching if any of the tourist giving hint of the slightest symptom, they will be isolated immediately to avoid any further damage. All the access will be cleaned immediately such as door handle, bus grip and the entire most touchable item. Mask will also be provided by this committee and gloves if necessary. Hence, this committee will be important to make VMY2020 a success.

Other than just keeping eye on the health issues, the other plan to ensure the VMY 2020 will be a success is the government should adjust the policy on the tourist accordingly to the situation. Currently, the phobia is stopping the tourist to enter Malaysian tourism market even we have ensured that the safety precaution has been taken seriously. To make tourist attracted to VMY 2020, the government should make an agreement to Malaysian airline that is owned by the nation to make a low fare rate to increase the entrance of the tourist for make VMY2020 a success. This has been promoted by AirAsia and the ticket for South Korea has been sold out and it makes the tourism in South Korea is very competent. Other than that, increase in promotion and joint venture promotion with Galakan Melancong Malaysia (GAMELAN) will be a good initiative to promote VMY2020 for domestic and inbound tourist. A review on the tourism tax rate should encourage international tourist to visit Malaysia for a vacation. Other measures is to promote and fix any wrong impressions towards Malaysia on this Coronavirus outbreak should help a lot in fixing this matter and easing the visa to all the country to cover up the numbers that are left by Chinese tourist from China. This is also give the international tourist to have alternative after they cancelled their journey to China.

All these strategic plans is about to ensure that Visit Malaysia Year 2020 will be a huge success that will gain more than 100 billion Ringgit as expected and will create more job opportunity to generate the growth of Malaysian’s economy. This plans hoped to help the nation to generate income through tourism sector yet to proposed the safety way to do so hence the public’s health will no longer being gambled. The strategy opposed is to make the tourist in Malaysia will be in perfect shape and perfectly safe during their tour in Malaysia. The party involved should be more concern and alert of upcoming issues during this outbreak as it is very important to gain something and in the same time to ensure the health of the citizen is no longer on threats. In this outbreak, all the safety measures is very important and so the hygiene to prevent this problem to be more deadly. Since then, keep everyone safe and still enjoy the tourism in Malaysia during Visit Malaysia Year 2020 and hopefully this VMY2020 will be a success.

References

1. Retrieved from: https://www.tourism.gov.my/pdf/uploads/VM2020_faq.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2KfLEkJmcITrRrdmrinpOqbo6jYfVIVLkd1ge_ttco5XFKQ6EJvJ0NiCA
2. Retrieved from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
3. Retrieved from: https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/coronavirus-affecting-tourism-industry
4. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/jan/18/expert-questions-effectiveness-airport-screening-new-coronavirus
5. Retrieved from: https://www.airport-technology.com/features/coronavirus-at-airports/
6. Retrieved from: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/travel/2020/02/11/how-malaysian-travel-operators-are-keeping-tourists-safe-amid-coronavirus-fear
7. Retrieved from: https://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/travel/2020/02/11/how-malaysian-travel-operators-are-keeping-tourists-safe-amid-coronavirus-fear

Summary

A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is associated with human-to-human transmission. The COVID-19 was recently identified in saliva of infected patients. In this point-of-view article, we discuss the potential of transmission via the saliva of this virus. The COVID-19 transmission via contact with droplets and aerosols generated during dental clinical procedures is expected. There is a need to increase investigations to the detection of COVID-19 in oral fluids and its impact on the transmission of this virus, which is crucial to improve effective strategies for prevention, especially for dentists and healthcare professionals that perform aerosol-generating procedures. Saliva can have a pivotal role in the human-to-human transmission, and non-invasive salivary diagnostics may pro-vide a convenient and cost-effective point-of-care platform for the fast and early detection of COVID-19 infection.

Current point of view

The present epidemic of the 2019 coronavirus strain (COVID-19) creates a public health emergency of global concern [1]. International centers for disease control and prevention are monitoring this infectious disease outbreak; symptoms of COVID-19 infection include fever, cough, and acute respiratory disease, with severe cases leading to pneumonia, kidney failure, and even death. The severe respiratory illness caused by the COVID-19 was first noticed in Wuhan, Hubei, China, and infections have spread worldwide [2]. Currently, the available COVID-19 genome sequences from clinical samples advise that this viral emergence is related to bat coronaviruses [3]. Although the coronavirus infection in humans frequently presents with mild severity, the betacoronavirus infection of either the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) [4] or the Middle

East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) [5] resulted in higher mortality rates [6]. Given the novelty of COVID-19, some characteristics of the virus remain yet unidentified. Considering that COVID-19 was recently identified in saliva of infected patients [7], the COVID-19 outbreak is a reminder that dental/oral and other health professionals must always be diligent in protecting against the spread of infectious disease, and it provides a chance to determine if a non-invasive saliva diagnostic for COVID-19 could assist in detecting such viruses and reducing the spread. The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention isolated the COVID-19. It published the viral genome sequence data immediately in international database banks GenBank and the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) [8, 9]. This action enabled laboratories in several countries to develop unique PCR tests focusing on the diagnosis of COVID-19 [8, 10]. Currently, the COVID-19 transmission routes are still to be determined, but human-to-human transmission has been confirmed [10, 11]. The laboratory diagnostic tests should be performed using nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and blood samples. Expectorated sputum and other specimens in severe respiratory disease should be considered as lower respiratory tract samples [2, 12 and 13]. Several potential scenarios of COVID-19 transmission have been described. The transmission via contact with droplets from talking, coughing, sneezing (related to human respiratory activities), and aerosols generated during clinical procedures is expected, as it would be for other respiratory infections. The origin of droplets can be nasopharyngeal or oro-pharyngeal, normally associated with saliva. Larger droplets could contribute to viral transmission to subjects nearby, and, on the other side, the long-distance transmission is possible with smaller droplets infected with air-suspended viral particles [14].

Considering that laboratory diagnostic tests are also performed in blood samples, the transmission by contaminated blood should also be considered. In this context, healthcare workers, such as dentists, may be unknowingly providing direct care for infected, but not yet diagnosedCOVID-19 patients, or those considered to be suspected cases for surveillance [12, 13]. Asymptomatic infections seem to be possible [15] and transmission may occur before the disease symptoms appear. A recent clinical study indicates that 29% of 138 hospitalized patients with COVID-19-infected pneumonia in Wuhan, China, are healthcare workers [16]. As in bronchoscopy [17], inhalation of airborne particles and aerosols produced during dental procedures on patients with COVID-19 can be a high-risk procedure in which dentists are directly and closely exposed to this virus. Therefore, it is crucial for dentists to refine preventive strategies to avoid the COVID-19 infection by focusing on patient placement, hand hygiene, all personal protective equipment (PPE), and caution in performing aerosol-generating procedures. The Interim Guidance for Healthcare Professionals from CDC has been updated, and it is subject to change as additional information on COVID-19 infection and transmission becomes available. Diagnosis of COVID-19 can theoretically be performed using salivary diagnosis platforms. Some virus strains have been detected in saliva as long as 29 days after infection [18, 19], indicating that a non-invasive platform to rapidly differentiate the biomarkers using saliva could enhance disease detection. [20] Saliva samples could be collected in patients who present with oropharyngeal secretions as a symptom [12, 13]. Bearing in mind the requirement of a close contact between healthcare workers and infected patients to collect nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal samples, the possibility of a saliva self-collection can strongly reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Besides, the nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal collection promotes discomfort and may promote bleeding especially in infected patients with thrombocytopenia. The sputum of a lower respiratory tract was produced by only 28% of COVID-19 patients, which indicates a strong limitation as specimen to diagnostic evaluation [7]. We suggest that there is a minimum of three different pathways for COVID-19 to present in saliva: firstly, from COVID-19 in the lower and upper respiratory tract [2, 3] that enters the oral cavity together with the liquid droplets frequently exchanged by these organs.

Secondly, COVID-19 present in the blood can access the mouth via crevicular fluid, an oral cavity- specific exudate that contains local proteins derived from extracellular matrix and serum-derived proteins [21]. Finally, another way for COVID-19 to occur in the oral cavity is by major- and minor- salivary gland infection, with subsequent release of particles in saliva via salivary ducts. It is essential to point out that salivary gland epithelial cells can be infected by SARS-CoV a short time after infection in rhesus macaques, suggesting that salivary gland cells could be a pivotal source of this virus in saliva [22]. Additionally, the production of SARS-CoV-specific secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the saliva of animal models intra nasally immunized was previously shown [23]. Considering the similarity of both strains, we speculate that salivary diagnosis of COVID-19 could also be performed using specific antibodies to this virus. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential diagnostic of COVID-19 in saliva and its impact on transmission of this virus, which is crucial to improve effective strategies for prevention, especially for dentists and healthcare professionals that perform aerosol-generating procedures. Saliva can have a pivotal role in the human-to-human transmission, and salivary diagnostics may provide a convenient and cost- effective point-of-care platform for COVID-19 infection.

References

1. The Lancet (2020) Emerging understandings of COVID-19. Lancet. 395(10221):311. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20) 30186-0
2. Zhu N, Zhang D, Wang W et al (2019) China Novel Coronavirus Investigating and Research Team. A novel coronavirus from pa-tients with pneumonia in China. N Engl J Med:2020. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2001017
3. Zhou P, Yang XL, Wang XG et al (2020) A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2012-7
4. Ksiazek TG, Erdman D, Goldsmith CS et al (2003) A novel coro-navirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome. N Engl J Med 348(20):1953–1966
5. de Groot RJ, Baker SC, Baric RS, Brown CS, Drosten C, Enjuanes L, Fouchier RA, Galiano M, Gorbalenya AE, Memish ZA, Perlman S, Poon LL, Snijder EJ, Stephens GM, Woo PC, Zaki AM, Zambon M, Ziebuhr J (2013)
6. Hui DSC, Zumla A (2019) Severe acute respiratory syndrome: historical, epidemiologic, and clinical features. Infect Dis Clin N Am 33(4):869–889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.idc.2019.07.001
7. To KK, Tsang OT, Chik-Yan Yip C et al (2020) Consistent detection of 2019 novel coronavirus in saliva. Clin Infect Dis. https://doi.org/10. 1093/cid/ciaa149
8. Huang C, Wang Y, Li X et al (2020) Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet S0140-6736(20):30183–30185. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)
9. World Health Organization – WHO (2020a) Emergencies prepared-ness, response. Pneumonia of unknown origin – China disease out-break news; 12 January, Accessed 12 Jan 2020. Available at: https:// www.who.int/csr/don/12-january-2020-novel-coronavirus-china/en/
10. Wu A, Peng Y, Huang B et al (2020) Genome composition and divergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) originating in China. Cell Host Microbe S1931–3128(20):30072-X. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.chom.2020.02.001
11. Shu Y, McCauley J (2017) GISAID: global initiative on sharing all influenza data – from vision to reality. Euro Surveill 22(13). https:// doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2017.22.13.30494
12. ECDC – European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; European surveillance for human infection with novel coronavirus (COVID-19); 22 January, Accessed 28 Jan 2020. Available at: https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/european-surveillance-human-infection-novel-coronavirus-COVID-19
13. World Health Organization-WHO (2020) Global surveillance for human infection with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) Interim guid-ance. 21 January, Accessed 28 Jan 2020. Available at: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/20200121-global-surveillance-for-COVID-19.pdf

As many may know, the Coronavirus outbreak was first recorded in China . Ever since then, the virus has spread all over the world and is now a pandemic. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses that can range from a common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) ( Madhi ). This virus has affected our lives in ways we would have never expected. It has caused us to self distance, close down schools and be on lockdown.

Just like the Coronavirus outbreak, in the short story The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe there has also been a disease outbreak called the Red Death. THE “Red Death” had long devastated the country. No pestilence had ever been so fatal, or so hideous ( Allen ).

This disease has spread all over the country and has killed half of the kingdom, therefore bringing fear. This has caused Prince Prospero and a thousand of his favorite knights and ladies to close themselves up in The Abbey castle in hope to escape from the disease.

In fear of getting infected by the Coronavirus, also known as COVID-19 people have started to distance themselves, similar to Poe’s short story. This consists of people staying home and not having visitors, working from home or cancelling big events. Such cancellations aim to prevent or minimize the spread of the disease allowing patients to be more readily cared for by the health care system over time. An example of social distancing is the cancelation of activities which are likely to attract crowds. Social distancing purposefully reduces the physical distance between individuals in order to prevent attracting disease. Staying at least six meters away from others also eliminates the chances of catching the Coronavirus.

In the short story, The Masque of the Red Death, Prince Prospero is selfish and does not care about his poor, dying subjects and thinks the external world could take care of itself (Allen). In the same way the Coronavirus has made people become selfish. People tend to only care for themselves in difficult times. During this pandemic many people have been buying food and everyday products excessively. For example, there has been a shortage of toilet paper, therefore there is now a limit on how many you can buy. People being greedy has caused stores to be completely empty of products that we need on an everyday basis.

As the world is witnessing an increase in the COVID-19 cases everyday, there has also been a subsequent rise in cases of domestic violence in India and across the world.

Domestic violence is defined under Section 3 of The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005. The definition explains four categories of abuses namely Physical abuse, Sexual abuse, Verbal abuse and Economic abuse. Physical abuse is considered as any act or conduct causing bodily injury, pain or harm to any person. Sexual abuse is any sexual conduct which abuses, degrades, humiliate or violate the dignity of any women. Verbal abuse includes insults, ridicule and humiliations. Economic abuse includes depriving the women all the financial resources to which she is entitled or requires out of necessity like running the household[ Section 3, The Protection of Women from Domestic abuse Act, 2005].

With the first phase of lockdown in India, the National Commission of Women (NCW) has received complaints of gender-based crimes which includes rapes, domestic violence and the ones related to “right to live with dignity”. There has been more than a twofold increase in the total number of complaints, received by the NCW, which rose from 116 in the first week of March (2nd- 8th March) to 257 in the last week (23rd March – 1st April). Out of these, the domestic violence cases rose to 69 from the previously 30 cases recorded prior lockdown. This numerical data is enough to prove how women in this patriarchal society are used merely as a target for men to rent their anger. The age old issue of gender disparity still holds a strong grip over both the rural and urban society of India.

Impact of lockdown on the rising cases against women

The recent tense situations has shook the entire world both mentally and economically. The crisis and financial distress has resulted in heavy business losses and salary cuts. Some have even lost their jobs and are currently unemployed. This led men to release their frustration on women in the form of abuses and violence. Resumed liquor sale in various parts of the country has further added to the already existing problems. A 50 years old lady from Telangana, on liquor sale, said ‘We have almost exhausted all our savings, but now with liquor sale resuming, we fear that our husbands will splurge our little left money on liquor. The only good thing about this lockdown was the ban on liquor!’ Not only the liquor sale lead to long queues of people but will also be proved extremely dangerous in spreading the deadly COVID-19 virus. Further this will cause an additional financial burden on the family and is likely to increase the domestic violence cases in the country. Similar cases of violence over women were observed previously during such cases of lockdown and confinement, specially during the Ebola outbreak in 2014.

With the rise in such cases, helpline numbers run by a Delhi based NGO as an aid for victims of domestic violence records a shocking drop of 50% calls from the usual. The main reasons ascertained behind this decrease is the lack of privacy and space available to women. Due to lockdown all the family members are now confined to their homes which makes it difficult for women to reach out for help. The fear of getting caught is another stumbling block in their way restricting them to lodge a complain for the pain they go through everyday. Many of such victims, belonging mostly from low income groups and rural areas, does not have proper access to either mobile phones or internet connections. Because of this most of the complaints and cases regarding domestic violence goes unrecorded. Lockdown further restrained public movement from one place to another leaving these women helpless as they now cannot even visit the police stations to file an FIR (First Information Report). Emotional support from family and friends is also unavailable to them at this crucial time.

Initiative and Actions to curb the violence

While the world is battling with the dangerous Covid-19 pandemic, the increasing cases of domestic violence during lockdown has been ignored and did not get enough attention as it deserve by the government. The police and other staffs are overburdened with the law and order situation of lockdown, the existing shelter homes for the victims are now converted into isolation wards for the Covid-19 patients and the counselling services are not accessible at this time.

Apart from all this, the National Commission of Women (NCW) has raised the issue of domestic violence during the lockdown and also encouraged women to speak out for themselves. A special team is constituted in order to tackle the complaints on a fast track basis. Out of all the messages received those related to domestic violence and domestic abuse are given priority and are timely acted upon. On 10th of April, a Whatsapp emergency number to file emergency complaints was launched by NCW from which the Commission received almost 40 messages related to domestic abuse cases within just a week.

A new initiative named ‘Red Dot’ is launched by WEFT (Women Entrepreneur For Transformation) to identify a domestic violence victim through a red dot on her palm. They also requested to inform them about any such cases through social media, email or helpline numbers.The government of Delhi on 12th April told the Court about the protocol to handle such cases. After getting call on any of the 24×7 helpline numbers, the case is forwarded to the counsellor who then makes a telephonic counselling to assist the victim. If the case is related to sexual or physical form of abuse then the counsellor is required to inform the police and file an FIR of the case. After Delhi High Court, Karnataka High Court also asked the state government about the safety measures and actions taken to tackle the rising domestic violence cases. To this, the government responded positively stating the effective operation of all helpline numbers and proper availability of counsellor and shelter homes for the victim. Jammu and Kashmir High Court as well offered some directions including creation of a Special relief fund and designating informal safe places for women to report any case related to domestic violence easily.

On the resumption of alcohol sale in various parts of India, some women activists raised their concern and wrote to the authorities to stop the sale until the lockdown opens as it will only provoke men to drink which will lead to domestic violence and other forms of abuses against women.

Under the Indian law, there are certain rights and reliefs available to the domestic violence victims who are in need of help and assistance. The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 is one such Act ensuring the same to women. It is a civil law which aims to provide compensation, support and relief to the aggrieved party. It also aims at providing counselling services, shelter homes and monetary relief to the victims.

Conclusion

Women are an important part of every society and no country can prosper unless the women there are respected and taken care of. It is a concerning situation to see the domestic violence cases rising everyday during the lockdown. Under Section 11 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005 the government authorities must ensure proper use of television, radio, newspapers and social media to create more awareness about ways to deal with domestic violence[ Section 11, The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act,2005]. We must also ensure fast track 24×7 helpline numbers and easy accessibility of other services including monetary relief and legal aid. This will not only give the victims hope but also make them independent and confident to fight their own battles.

“Overcoming abuse doesn’t just happen, it takes positive steps everyday. Let today be the day you start to move forward.” – Assunta Harris

Every day millions of people are exposed to microscopic germs and bacteria that live on surfaces and in the air. Many times, bacteria and germs enter our body and have no effect on us, but say one day it did. An invisible germ entered into your body and now you’re sick. You have tried everything to get rid of it but couldn’t. Every day your symptoms are getting worse and worse and as a last resort you go to the doctor, and they diagnose you with the Coronavirus. The invisible killer that has no cure. We know that the Coronavirus can be deadly to the human body, but many of us don’t know that it can be affected by water in its different states.

The Corona can spread just like any other cold, cough, or flu. When someone coughs and sneezes droplets containing the virus particles then get released into the air and onto many different items and surfaces. How long the virus survives on these surfaces depends on the material, temperature, and kind of surface it lands on. A study conducted to see how the long the Corona Virus could live on surfaces concluded, that when the virus is exposed to certain objects, temperature, and humidity that it can die within hours. However, when exposed to cloth, wood, and other items the results differed. According to the article titled, “The Coronavirus Can Live on a Surgical Mask for 7 Days, Cloth for 2 Days, and Paper for 3 Hours” the author mentioned, “The researchers behind the new study tested the virus’ life span in a 71-degree-Fahrenheit room at 65% relative humidity. After three hours, the virus had disappeared from printing and tissue paper. It took two days for it to leave the wood and cloth fabric. After four days, it was no longer detectable on glass or paper money. It lasted the longest, seven days, on stainless steel and plastic” (Woodward).

This explains, that in warm temperatures like mid-Spring or early Summer when the temperature is high with lots of moisture in the air the virus life is cut short on paper and tissue only able to live for 180 minutes. However, when wood, glass, paper, and cloth fabric is exposed to the same environment the virus can live days instead of hours but the longest object the virus can live on is stainless and plastic. The virus can live on these surfaces for a whole week when exposed to a warm temperature with moisture in the air. Longer than any other surfaces mentioned, which makes this virus is more dangerous than previously thought because most people drink out of plastic water bottles especially as the weather gets warmer. Not to mention, most household appliances such as doorknobs, locks, keys, sinks, and faucets are made from stainless steel which makes people more susceptible to catching the virus if any of the items are exposed to the virus droplets in the conditions mentioned above.

A liquid can be defined as something that flows freely and always takes the shape of anything it is placed in like water. When the Coronavirus comes in contact with the liquids soap and water it may be able to break the virus down, by killing the germs inside the virus shells. The article states, “ Soap and water are your first line of defense to remove the virus from surfaces. Soap interferes with the fats in the virus shell and lifts the virus from surfaces and this is then rinsed off by water.” (Ciric). This means, that soap and water when used in conjunction with one another, are very effective at removing the virus from hands and exteriors. The soap starts to act right away by lifting the virus from the area, disturbing the fats which weaken the virus and makes it easier to be washed away by the running water.

Another liquid that destroys the Coronavirus is bleach. When bleach comes in contact with the Coronavirus it weakens the virus by destroying or breaking down the part of the virus that contains acid. In the article “Cleaning Products Can Kill The COVID-19 Virus” the author concedes, “The active ingredient in bleach – sodium hypochlorite – is very effective at killing the virus. Make sure you leave the bleach to work for 10-15 minutes then give the surface a wipe with a clean cloth” (Ciric). This informs us that you can just apply bleach to a surface and wipe it off right away The bleach must remain on the surface for at least 15 minutes to properly kill the virus and then you can wipe it off. This example also explains that liquid bleach works by killing the part of the virus that allows the virus to multiply and spread. and you should always read the instructions on the bottle before using any chemicals.

A third, liquid that can exterminate the Coronavirus is a liquid called surgical spirit. The liquid Surgical spirit contains alcohol and ethanol it kills the Coronavirus by breaking it down. The article explains, “ Surgical spirit is mostly made up of the alcohol ethanol. Ethanol has been shown to kill the coronavirus in as little as 30 seconds. Like bleach, the alcohol destroys the protein and RNA that the virus is made up of” (Ciric). This is an example of a powerful liquid that’s able to devour the virus in less than a minute. The liquid goes right to work as soon as contact is made with the virus.

In closing, little is known about the Coronavirus but what is known is that one way the virus is able to spread its deadly particles into the air and onto surfaces which have caused hundreds of thousands if not millions of people to become infected. The life span of the virus depends on the temperature, humidity, and surface it lands on. In some weather conditions, and on some surfaces, the virus is only able to survive hours before it dies. On others, it able to thrive for days even weeks before the particles die. There are a few liquids that are able to break down and even destroy the Coronavirus when contact is made. One being soap water, which is an inexpensive defense against the virus which works together to destroy the outer cover and raises the virus from the area and washes it away. Bleach is also very effective when it is applied in the correct matter. However, it needs to stay on the surface for 10-15 minutes for it to work properly at killing the virus. because it has the ability to kill the virus completely if it is used according to manufacturer instructions. Surgical Spirit has a fast-acting liquid that is able to destroy the virus completely in half a minute by everything in the virus leaving no trace of it. The virus reacts differently when exposed to different solids, liquids, environments, items, and objects. Science is still trying to understand the virus, how it spreads, thrive, and dies. No one is safe until science finds a cure.