Mount a United Offensive against Corona!

Dear Readers,

Thanks for your continuous support. Legendary poet C F Alexander refers to the significance of gaiety and naturalness in these immortal lines: “All things bright and beautiful , all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful , each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, the purple-headed mountain, the river running by, the sunset and the morning that brightens up the sky …” If we are not healthy (do not feel in the state of physical, mental and social well being), we cannot enjoy happiness in life.
Today there is holocaust all over the world due to unprecedented outbreak of Coronavirus. Now question is – from where it originated either from China’s lab where research on bat was going on or from other natural causes? It is still mysterious. Some claims that it is due to negligence of an intern who was at China Wuhan’s lab and already on the job of research. Recently, US President Donald Trump and other countries have also accused China of misleading the world about the severity of the outbreak, and there are growing calls for an international inquiry into the origins of the virus. As coronavirus continues to exact a huge toll on the economy and human lives across the world, the war of words between the US and China over the origin of COVID-19 shows no sign of de-escalation. The latest row threatens to turn the US-China relationship, already frayed due to the trade war, from bad to worse. But who is right or wrong, it is still a matter of investigation.
If we talk about preparedness and control over Covid-19 in India, the government deserves appreciation for adopting an effective containment strategy to contain the disease within a defined geographic area by early detection of cases, breaking the chain of transmission and thus preventing its spread.
As per a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry, India has adopted a strategic approach taking into account different possible factors such as travel-related cases, local transmission of COVID-19, large outbreaks amenable to containment, and widespread community transmission.
There are 216 districts which have not reported any cases till date. As many as 42 districts have seen no fresh cases in the last 28 days, while 29 districts have seen no fresh cases in the last 21 days. A total of 36 districts have seen no fresh cases in the last 14 days, and 46 districts have seen no fresh cases in the last 7 days.
The Ministry of Health has issued additional guidelines for states quarantine/ facility isolation in hotels, service apartments, lodges etc., for returnees from abroad/contacts/ isolation of suspects or confirmed cases.
The World Health Organization has already praised India for its tough and timely efforts to control the spread of coronavirus. At present millions are infected worldwide due to COVID-19 outbreak. Studies of patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) demonstrate that the respiratory tract is a major site of SARS-coronavirus (CoV) infection and disease morbidity. Remember! SARS also emerged as a regional and global health threat in 2002-2003, and claimed over 800 deaths.
Various actions have been collectively taken by the Centre and states/UTs for prevention, containment and management of COVID-19. These are being regularly reviewed and monitored at the highest level. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated a multi-centre clinical trial called PLACID trial, “Phase-II Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial, to assess the safety and efficacy of Convalescent Plasma to Limit COVID-19 associated complications in moderate disease”. The study has received approval from the COVID-19 National Ethics Committee (CONEC). ICMR has shortlisted 21 institutes for PLACID trial. These include five hospitals in Maharashtra; four in Gujarat; two each in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; and one each in Punjab, Karnataka, Telangana and Chandigarh.
Incorporating the latest developments on COVID-19 outbreak, Double Helical brings to you in-depth stories on the strategies to to fight against Covod-19. In this critical scenario we urge our readers to stay home, be safe and follow the government’s guidelines. No need to get panicky. Let’s all join hands to fight against Coronavirus. Take care of yourself and your loved ones!
Thanks and regards

Amresh K Tiwary,
Editor-in-Chief