Researching the cure for COVID-19

A lot of information available in the public domain about the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) is based on the information available about similar coronaviruses. Coronavirus is generally found in animals like bats, cats and camels. The virus affecting human beings has not been frequent in history except the MERS that started from the camels and SARS that started from bats.

Human to Human transmission mode is not very clear, but it is vastly believed to be from respiratory droplets from an infected person’s cough or sneeze that may get inhaled by a healthy person. It is unclear if the transfer through touch and subsequent contact with nose, eye or mouth may cause the infection. Respiratory viruses are harder to be isolated and quarantined and are thought to be most contagious when they are most symptomatic.

Researches are being carried out in state of the art laboratories around the world to find cure for the virus. Also, with newer cases cropping up in various European and African countries as well, diagnostic equipment is also being updated to reduce the time delay in the identification of prospective patients. Newer and better quarantine measures are being developed to increase the patients’ chances for immunity against the virus and curbing it from spreading further.

China has been at the forefront of the research. In record time, they build hospitals to house thousands of infected patients with better isolation methods. Thousands of people are getting screened at various hospitals, quarantine facilities and airports to isolate the infected people. The Center for Disaster Control and Prevention in the United States has issued guidelines for health care professionals to better equip themselves and their laboratories to carry out research in finding a cure for the novel coronavirus.