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A Talk with Dr. Mohsin Khurshid on Polio eradication in Pakistan

Saadeqa Khan
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A Talk with Dr. Mohsin Khurshid on Polio eradication in Pakistan

Dr. Mohsin Khurshid is working as an Assistant professor at the Department of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan. He has completed his Ph.D. (Microbiology) research related to Antimicrobial Resistance at the Department of Microbiology, Government College University, Faisalabad, Pakistan, and Institute of Antibiotics, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He has obtained his MPhil Microbiology from Quaid-i-Azam University Faisalabad and MSc Microbiology from the University of Karachi, Pakistan. He completed his BSc (Medical Laboratory Technology) from the University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, with “Clinical Microbiology” as a major subject. Previously he has served as Lecturer in College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Khursheed’s research interest includes the bacterial Pathogenesis, antibiotic resistance mechanisms among bacteria, and the potential role of bacteria in cancer diagnosis and management. Dr. Mohsin Khurshid is actively involved in research work related to Antimicrobial Resistance, Probiotics, and the role of the microbiome in health and disease and has made high impact publications in international journals.  

Interview Dr. Mohsin Khurshid
Dr. Mohsin Khurshid

Here are some excerpts of his recent conversation with our Editor-in-Chief, Saadeqa khan;

Saadeqa: Can you give an overview of the poliovirus? And why do children more susceptible to it?

Dr. Khurshid: Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus. Most people who get infected with poliovirus will not do not have any visible symptoms. Around 25 percent of people will have flu-like symptoms like Sore throat, Tiredness, Fever, Headache, Nausea, and Stomach pain, and usually, these symptoms last for only 2 to 5 days and go away without any therapy. Few people infected with poliovirus develop severe symptoms affecting the brain and spinal cord that includes the following

  • Feeling of pins or needles in the legs known as Paresthesia.
  • Inflammation of the covering of the brain and or spinal cord is known as meningitis, which occurs in around 1/25 polio virus-infected individuals.
  • The weakness of the arms and or legs or paralysis occurs in about 1/200 people infected with poliovirus. Paralysis is the severest symptom of the poliovirus infections that can lead to disability or death. 

The children who recover completely from this infection can develop muscle weakness, pain, or paralysis 15 to 40 years later in life known as post-polio syndrome. It is essential to understand that Polio or “poliomyelitis” is defined as “the paralytic disease”; therefore, only those individuals having the paralysis are considered to have the disease “poliomyelitis.”

Polio can affect at any age, but it mainly affects children less than five years old in parts of Asia and Africa. Poliovirus is transmitted through person-to-person contact. The infected individuals shed the virus into the environment through the feces. If the hygiene and sanitation conditions are poor, the Virus can spread through the community. In case, enough number of people are fully immunized in any community against Polio, the poliovirus does not find any susceptible host to infect and ultimately dies out. As younger children are not much toilet-trained, they can be a source of transmission. The older children, as well as adults, are generally more hygienic compared to the younger children, they do not contribute much towards the transmission of poliovirus.  

Saadeqa: What are the primary reasons behind the fact that Pakistan couldn’t eradicate poliovirus until now? Though Polio widely considers extinct around the globe?

Dr. Khurshid: There are multiple reasons which contribute to the country’s failure to eradicate Polio. In Pakistan, the low immunization coverage and several socioeconomic factors, such as poverty, illiteracy, and lack of access to immunization and community health services, contribute much towards this failure. All these challenges, together with diverse geography, which encompasses the mountain range, glaciers, deserts, and the harsh terrains, contribute to poor delivery of public health services. Furthermore, the huge differences in population density also make it difficult to expertly complete the polio vaccination campaigns, with densely-populated metropolitans, for instance, Karachi and Lahore offering a higher risk of fecal-oral spread compared with the less populated and mountainous regions such AS Balochistan and Gilgit Baltistan. 

There are also significant inequalities in the availability of resources and immunization coverage among the provincial and district levels with better coverage in Punjab and inferior coverage in Balochistan and FATA. Moreover, the implementation of vaccination campaigns is quite variable with reports of false compliance, lack of vaccination registration records, vaccinator satisfaction towards the financial incentives, or delays in salaries or payments. The power interruption and lack of equipment made it tough to maintain the cold chain necessary for OPV efficacy. 

Vaccine hesitancy is another factor that is influenced by illiteracy, socioeconomic, cultural, and religious factors. Parental refusal is a significant hindrance to the vaccination campaign due to fallacies regarding the intensions of immunization, such as the common misconception that vaccines can sterilize children or contain derived pig products that are forbidden in Islam. 

The number of polio cases has decreased by more than 90 % since 1994, even with the multiple challenges that the polio eradication campaign has faced in Pakistan. Such as Taliban insurgency FATA and KPK, displacement of millions of people, and negative propaganda against vaccination. 

Saadeqa: What are the reasons behind OPV failure? And why IPV prefer over OPV?

Dr. Khurshid with his Chinese colleagues
Dr. Khurshid with his Chinese colleagues

Dr. Khurshid: IPV is not added due to the OPV failure. The choice of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) or oral polio vaccine (OPV) depends on where and when you were born. For example, the people born in the USA after 2000 received an injection of the IPV, but the people born before 2000, have received the OPV administered by mouth in the form of drops.

World Health Organization (WHO) recommended using both vaccines, particularly among the children born in polio-affected countries, although the debate among the scientists reflects that both vaccines (OPV and IPV) have different strengths and weaknesses. The IPV results in higher levels of antibodies in the blood compared to the OPV. Moreover, it poses no risk of reversion to a virulent form as it does not reproduce. However, it confers a low level of the immune response in the intestine and mucous membranes when administered solely. Therefore, it is less effective in preventing viral replication in the intestine.

Further, IPV is more challenging to administrate (because of injection) and more expensive compared to OPV. On the other hand, the OPV provides better mucosal immunity (Intestine and mucous membranes) than IPV. However, OPV contains a live virus. Therefore there is a chance that it can replicate and revert to a virulent form. 

The WHO, therefore, suggests using both vaccines to put a stop on the transmission chains for a polio-free world. Upon the WHO recommendations, the IPV started in the winters of 2015 by adding a dose of IPV at 14 weeks to the three doses of OPV already being used for routine immunizations. 

Saadeqa: In Pakistan, the polio immunization campaign is controversial for a long; what do you think is the primary reason behind?

Dr. Khrushid: The primary reason behind the polio immunization complaints illiteracy and the proclivity of people toward the negative propaganda. The militants operating in Pakistan and few religious clerics have spread a myth linking the vaccination program to a western conspiracy to sterilize Muslims and have painted the vaccinators as US spies. This narrative got strength especially after the news that a fake hepatitis B vaccination campaign was funded by US CIA to trace Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, which led to a profound distrust of the polio vaccination campaign, particularly in rural KPK and FATA having the highest rates of vaccine refusal and the most poliomyelitis cases.

These hurdles are being managed by the Government of Pakistan by involving religious leaders and social mobilizers and by deployment the police for smoothly running the vaccination programs. The tendency of the public to avoid the vaccination due to a lack of awareness is far more dangerous in the eradication of Polio than handling the few people involved in anti-polio vaccination propaganda. Notably, the emergence of polio cases in the past few years necessitate further rigorous measures in the future. 

Saadeqa: We have best Researchers and well-equipped Laboratories in Islamabad and Karachi, so why do not our health experts locally analyze the controversial Polio vaccine?

Dr. Khurshid: Our laboratories are not well-equipped and funded as required to analyze the vaccines in Pakistan that are mainly because we are not producing human vaccines locally. For the Polio vaccine, we do not need much this local testing even as the vaccine manufacturing companies have already gone through it. The vaccines manufacturing also includes a set of well-characterized testing for any potential contamination that requires exceptional quality control and quality assurance systems. Therefore the manufacturers are responsible for quality, efficacy, and safety. Even if we establish the vaccine quality control testing locally and start the trial, this is nothing to deal with illiteracy and misconceptions. 

Saadeqa: How can we change the mindset of our layman (parents) towards the Polio vaccine as they are reluctant to use?

Dr. Khurshid: For an effective anti-polio vaccination and changing the mindset, we need to resolve the suspicion of the general public. The explanation by the health officials, especially about the higher number of doses of various vaccines as in Pakistan, the number of doses of various vaccines is more than being given in most countries that cause doubts. Moreover, increasing public awareness with the help of social media and religious leaders about the benefits of vaccination and addressing the misconceptions are of utmost importance.

Saadeqa: We are facing a total lockdown. What do you think the role virologist or microbiologist play in this time of trouble?

Dr. Khurshid: A microbiologist or virologist is specialized in the detection, identification, and containment of the microorganisms that may cause disease. A microbiologist is also involved in developing feasible interventions and solutions to reduce the spread of microorganisms in the community. In this lockdown situation, the microbiologists can help to analyze the samples being collected from the suspected patients for the contagions. Moreover, they can be involved in developing strategies for interventions based on findings. Microbiologists help educate the public regarding this pandemic regarding the safety measures for prevention. 

Saadeqa: Recently it is announced that Pakistani researchers sequenced a genome of Coronavirus, and interestingly it is different in some expects to that of Virus found in Wuhan, China, that indicates a fast mutation rate. What do you think, whether the coming months will be disastrous for Pakistan or we could manage safely?

Dr. Khurshid: Two different groups of Pakistani researchers from NUST and the University of Karachi have carried out the whole genome sequence of Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). It would be quite early to anticipate the outcomes of this pandemic, especially in Pakistan, as COVID-19 is a deadly pandemic sweeping the world. Pakistan would have to increase the COVID-19 testing capacity in the coming few days. There are two main reasons for testing people; to diagnose the individuals and to see how much COVID-19 has spread in the country. This information will be helpful for social distancing procedures. Let’s say, if few people are infected, the lockdown must be continued, and if the Virus has already been spread to large numbers of people, then further lockdown will be less useful.

Saadeqa: Students around Pakistan are continuously demanding a semester break due to severe technical problems in Online classes. What would you suggest to students and teachers to better cope with this situation?

Dr.Khurshid: I think that the students are right in this matter. Although the higher education commission has directed the universities to engage the students through online classes or assignments that will be beneficial for the students, however, this must not be a substitute for regular lectures. The main benefit of online courses is the flexibility to the student in terms of molding the class timing according to the student’s schedule by selecting a time that works best for him or her. The on-campus educations have many advantages, especially learning discipline and motivation and face-to-face interactions with the teachers. In our system, the online system may not be successful due to the lack of internet facilities, particularly in rural areas. Therefore, on-campus education is still likely the better option. 

Also read: A teachers take on getting the most out of online classes

A Teacher’s take on getting the most out of online classes

Kaleem Ullah
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A Teacher’s take on getting the most out of online classes

he coronavirus pandemic has forced the education sector worldwide to go with the online learning process. Synchronous classes remained the only choice to minimize the effects of the pandemic on education. In Pakistan, the Universities are closed due to lockdown, and amid this critical situation. The Higher Education Commission(HEC) is also fighting tooth and nail to find viable and practicable solutions to this dilemma. Pakistan being a developing country, could turn the dream of online classes into reality? Are the universities capable enough to conduct online classes without compromising the standard of education? SCIENTIA PAKISTAN magazine has recently approached Dr. Muhammad Mustafa, Assistant Professor at School of Life Sciences, Forman Christain College University, and asked these questions. 

Dr. Mustafa is a MS and Ph.D.  from Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul South Korea, and has 15 years of teaching experience in different institutions of Lahore, Pakistan. He has 5 years of research experience in the School of Biological Sciences, University of Punjab and has been conducting undergraduate and postgraduate classes in the field of life sciences at  FCCU since June 2016. Dr. Mustafa has also been supervising MPhil research projects since June 2016. He has Conducted numerous research talks in national and international universities and promoted a love of science through the platform of Khwarizmi Science Society Pakistan. He is known for writing articles, published in national newspapers and magazines about complex scientific phenomena in a reader-friendly way for general audiences.

Here are some excerpts of his recent conversation with our team member Kaleem Ullah, a former lecturer of Sargodha University. 

An online instructor cannot gauge the mood, involvement and engagement level of his/ her students the way he/she can in a traditional lecture-based classroom. How are you dealing with this problem?

Dr. Mustafa; Well, it is right that the online instructor can’t gauge the moods and moral of the engagement of his/ her student, as compared to the traditional way of the classroom where the students are physically present.  In a traditional classroom, instructors can quickly figure out whether he is delivering and communicating the knowledge well or not. In online classes, the best way to help your students to stay motivated and listen to you is to make your lecture slides interesting and in a more innovative way. You need to engage them in different activities. They should expect from you that sooner or later, you will be asking something related to the class. For example, to open up some internet resources, or to cross-check some statements on google, or directly engaging them in simple activities. 

This is a kind of way I am learning and evolving in the meanwhile; I used to ask and encourage them to create questions. In addition to this, the teachers’ experience is something that will help to imagine that he is in touch with the students or not. It also depends on the modes of lectures you are delivering. If you are dealing with recorded lectures, you need to speak ambiguously and will have to explain in a stair-way method. In that way, it’s the responsibility of the teacher to predict questions that might be there during his/her lecture and address them according to the learning objective of the topic. If you are dealing with online classes in real-time, and you have the luxury to get questions from the students right away to steer the lecture in a better way. But we don’t have that much-advanced internet access in Pakistan, so usually teachers depend on the recorded lectures and other resources.

Summing up, a lot of innovations are required for online classes where students could stay motivated in close association with the contents. When you are in real-time class, you do have the option of creating different tasks and asking them to respond to specific questions. With the help of question-answer sessions and letting students speak in the class help them to feel engaged and connected. The whiteboard, projector and your presence and body language all contribute to creating a strong student’s engaging environment. All of these can be replaced with alternative means in online classrooms. 

online learning
According to Dr. Mustafa, in online classes, the best way to help your students to stay motivated and listen to you is to make your lecture slides interesting and in a more innovative way.

In Pakistan, most educators aren’t expertly trained to handle the technical details of an online class, and therefore students are complaining hard. We can not train teachers in a short time, so how can we improve the standard of online learning?

Dr. Mustafa; This is a significant question, what are the things we need to look at when we want to train teachers. Teachers are supposed to prepare for teaching, but in the case of online learning, around 50% of the training is required to let the teacher know to use advanced modes of technologies. For example, how to use the internet and different software? How to deal with the recorded lectures and how to add, put together, and trim the videos in an excellent presentable manner? It might go more comfortable for one person, but at the same time would be disastrous for the other who is unfamiliar with the technology. It is demotivating for many good teachers and I know as a teacher most of us believe that we don’t need to learn anymore which affects our evolution as online teachers a lot.

The next is understanding about the student’s perspective. An online teacher should know what are the expectations of his/her student and what are the more efficient means of sharing data and knowledge with them. A well-planned question-answer session works like magic and remembers many students don’t like to show up for questions. I suggest letting your students ask questions in different ways, first, they can ask it over the internet during the live session, if not encourage them to write their questions in a text box so you can read and answer them in a supportive way.

Furthermore, the most essential thing in online teaching is the online method of assessment of how to judge the performance of your students. Since they can use all the resources to answer the question, therefore the assessment activities are quite different from the traditional mid-term/final term examinations. We need to educate the online instructors on how to judge the performance of their students, most of the methods are available and can be learned using the internet. There will be no midterm examinations and no final term exams. The assessment methods in online teaching should be small and unique to each topic. This method is divided into the following steps. 

Teachers are supposed to assign things to the students in a way that they can use their online classes to create their responses.  For example, I ask my students to watch a documentary after that; I do not ask them to write a summary of this documentary. Instead, I WANT them to answer my queries like what is the most interesting thing you noticed in that documentary? Is that application to another phenomenon, if yes then how? Do you want to add anything to this video? Questions like these will help instructors to know how their students are thinking about certain aspects they taught in the classroom. Asking your students to create short video responses on specific questions is a great way to boost their confidence and to see how well they can explain certain phenomena.

Group discussions are the handiest way for teachers to assess a student’s intellectual growth during online teaching. Assign a topic to a particular group of students, and have them speak on it for 5 to 10 minutes, see how they argue and counter-argue and make your assessments. These are just a few out of the many ways we can use to make assessments; the law is simple, divide your assessments into small parts for each topic make it more straightforward and understandable to your student with the help of rubrics and help your students to answer, the objective is student learning the grades are only figures. 

Also read; An outclass conversation with Dr Younas Khan

A look at top researches on viruses

Amna Masood
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A look at top researches on viruses

Viruses are pathogenic particles containing genetic material known as the core, which is surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. They are metabolically inert nature because they lack the enzymatic machinery, which is necessary for the production of viral proteins. It compels them to live, reproduce, and survive only inside the host body. They are tiny in size ranging from 20 to 300 nm and can only be studied through an electron microscope. Broadly they are categorized into two types based on their genome, either DNA viruses or RNA viruses. Since viruses are infectious and are involved in causing several diseases in living organisms, scientists are doing extensive research to understand all aspects, including their structure, classification, evolution, and interaction with host organisms for their survival through disease causation. Viruses have been studied under the field of biological sciences termed as ‘Virology.’ The following are some of the top researches on viruses.

Coronavirus

Firstly, the biggest problem that the whole world is facing nowadays is COVID-19 pandemic. Scientists have been working continuously in laboratories to find an efficient and effective vaccine against the Coronavirus. Recently, genetic sequencing on viral samples of Italian patients has been performed by two groups of scientists from the National Institute of Infectious diseases and Forensic Division of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health in Rome and Ancona University respectively. Already sequenced sample of the virus taken from the original city of the outbreak, Wuhan, was considered as a reference genome for comparison.

Results of the comparison showed that genetic variation between two viral samples was minor with the appearance of only five new variants in the later Italian samples. Researches have revealed the slow mutation rate of the Coronavirus. Concludingly, it’s good news, especially when we are familiar with the quick rate of mutation in most of the viruses, that has always remained one of the most significant challenges during vaccine development. We are hopeful that whenever the vaccine is introduced, it will be effective broadly.

Extensive researches are being done on COVID-19. The image is an illustration of the novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, Aylin Woodward Mar 26, 2020.
Extensive researches are being done on COVID-19. The image is an illustration of the novel Coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, Aylin Woodward Mar 26, 2020.

Herpes simplex virus type 1

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) affects 80% of young adults throughout the world. Its symptoms include mainly cold sore and, in some cases, encephalitis. Inflammation in the brain can become fatal if it remains untreated. Virologists from two of the Chinese universities have infected mice and human nerve cell lines with HSV-1 for in-vitro experimentation. High expression of Egr1 cellular protein was observed in both cell lines and brains of mice that were infected earlier. When the levels of Egr1 protein was decreased by using different methods, it reduced the number of mice deaths by decreasing encephalitis condition and viral load. The blockage of this particular protein can be a new approach for preventing encephalitis during viral infection based on this research.

Simian virus 40

Simian virus 40 (SV40) is a DNA virus having the capacity to cause tumors in animals. It had been used as a model eukaryotic virus for studying DNA replication and transcription processes. It attaches itself to lipids instead of binding to a protein receptor in the plasma membrane of the host. After understanding their way of interaction with the host, virologists discovered their unique behavior of using fats as a source for communication. The virus creates connections with a huge number of fat molecules, which causes a change in the shape of the host’s plasma membrane. This deformation favors endocytosis of virus molecule through vesicle formation that buds off inside the cell favoring its entry. The deformed membrane holds the virus tightly in such a way that there remains hardly any space between them. In this way, it ables to exert a strong force on the host’s membrane without seeking help from any of the cellular proteins. 

The figure below shows the entry of the virus through its binding to the host cell receptor on the plasma membrane called ganglioside GM1. This event triggers the formation of an endosome that leads the virus towards endoplasmic reticulum from where it breaches the membrane to release itself into the cytoplasm. It further moves to the nucleus and releases its genome. Then it starts using host machinery for the production of its genome and causes infection ultimately.

Entry of the virus through its binding to the host cell receptor on the plasma membrane
One of the top researches includes work on SV40. The image shows entry of the virus through its binding to the host cell receptor on the plasma membrane.

Hepatitis C virus

As we all know, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes hepatitis C that leads to liver infection. It results in liver cirrhosis and liver cancer in case of chronic infection. Global numbers can assess the severity of a disease according to which it affects 1% of the population per year. The HCV diagnosis method used currently involves two stages. The first step is to find specific HCV antibodies, and the second step requires a PCR1 assay for the detection of the presence of the viral RNA in the blood that confirms chronic infection. The major problem is its early diagnosis in some asymptomatic patients with traditional screening methods that are limited and expensive in developing countries.

According to the researches of 2018, a team of scientists developed a less costly assay in collaboration with the company ‘Genedrive.’ This new device allows PCR to be performed, enabling the necessary completion of 40 cycles more quickly than in a conventional platform. The analysis can be completed in approximately an hour. Assay’s performance and authenticity were checked in the institute of France and the National Health Service UK. Results showed 100% specificity with no false-positive results.

Also Read: OPINIONS: Fearful of COVID19? “NO”

Battling against Poliovirus

Bashir Ahmad
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Battling against Poliovirus

Shabana, an eight-year-old girl in Bajaur district, was waiting for her sisters to return from school. Unlike other young kids who used to wait for their siblings in the afternoon, this isn’t normal in any way. Girls have recently started going to schools in this part of the district. They are all full of zeal and committed to change; all are dreaming of a bright future with no handicapped. But Shabana is still stuck in her place. 

She remembers when, a few years back, polio workers knocked on her gate, but her father chose not to get her vaccinated. Today she can not walk around without a wheelchair. All she does is to wait for her sisters to return from school. In a few years, her sisters will graduate and will go on with their lives. But Shabana will still be stuck there, at the gate waiting for her loved ones to return. 

Doctors say that the Polio is barring Shabana to live a healthy life. Although it could have been prevented if she were given proper vaccines, and after this heart-wrenching situation, her father is now fully convinced that she should’ve been vaccinated. But this realization came at the cost of Shabana’s future. 

Polio – the monster that took Shabana’s states of happiness away – is life-threatening’ condition characterized by paralysis of a part of the body, mostly in the legs but can also involve muscles of the neck, head, and diaphragm. Caused by a tiny ‘poliovirus,’ it can infect the spinal cord, cause muscle weakness, and can disable a person for life or even lead to the death of the individual. Polio is also called infantile paralysis based on its propensity to affect children. In those with muscle weakness, 5 percent of the children and 15-30 percent of the adults’ infected die.

Poliomyelitis, as it’s named in Pathology, does not exhibit symptoms in people with healthy immune systems. The only noticeable symptoms are abdominal pain, gastrointestinal disturbances, respiratory tract infections, and influenza-like illness. These are mostly ignored for being very common and trivial. 

The poliovirus is an Enterovirus and possesses RNA as its genetic material. Viruses of this kind live in the gastrointestinal tract and particularly in oropharynx and intestines. It takes around 20 days for the virus to exhibit its symptoms, which is called its incubation period. Poliovirus is found in three serotypes, PV1, PV2, and PV3. Overall they produce the same symptoms, but PV1 is the most encountered form and associated with paralysis. 

Vaccines and Eradication of Poliovirus

Poliovirus existed from pre-historical age but first reported in 1789 in England. In the 1900s, its outbreaks in Europe, America, and Australia caught the eyes of the world. In the 1950s, it shaped the US’ worst pandemic by killing 3,145 patients and leaving 21,269 paralyzed. Curing Polio had become the priority of all governments in the 20th century. Many scientists tried and came up with solutions to the problems. 

Sabin vaccine is a weakened poliovirus vaccine that is administered orally
Sabin vaccine is a weakened poliovirus vaccine that is administered orally

The two most commonly used vaccines are Sabin and Salk vaccines. 

Salk vaccine is the inactivated polio vaccine that came in use in 1955 and administered via injection (IPV). Sabin vaccine, on the other hand, is a weakened poliovirus vaccine that is administered orally. These vaccines are safe in use, can effectively reduce polio cases an estimated 350,000 by 1986 and 37 by 2016. It is due to these polio vaccines that the world has successfully eradicated Polio and is now only limited to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Nigeria, too had destroyed the virus, and is now declared polio-free.

Why is Pakistan Still Unable to Eradicate Polio?

In the 1990s, Pakistan’s annual polio cases reported were about 20,000. In 2014 there were 306, 54 in 2015, 20 in 2016, and 8 in 2017. The numbers were promising, and Pakistan seemed to have won the war against this tiny monster. But in 2019, the annual cases reported sprung back to 146! This was a blow to all the vaccination efforts done by the government and respective departments. We are only three months into 2020, and 30 cases have already reported, most of which are from the provinces of KPK and Sindh. (Ref: endpolio.com.pk)

Low immunization completion is mostly due to unfavorable socioeconomic factors in addition to conflicts, such as illiteracy, poverty, and difficult access to immunization service and community health. Here we take a look at the factors involved in hindering Pakistan’s efforts to eradicate Polio.

Ineffective vaccination Campaigns

 In the 1970s, Pakistan started the Expanded Program of Immunization (EPI) to combat vaccine-preventable diseases. In 1980 it had immunized only 2% of the population. In 1990 it had successfully vaccinated 54% of the community, and Pakistan expected to eradicate Polio in the next few years. But the rate of immunization slowed down, and Pakistan couldn’t eradicate Polio in time. People were not getting appropriately vaccinated. The under vaccination of the population had many reasons. People were mostly uninformed about the disease and prevention. Many also considered it as an unimportant practice. Most of the time, vaccination centers would be far away; thus, people had to travel long distances to get their kids vaccinated. To solve these problems, other international organizations stepped in and urged to develop door-to-door vaccination campaigns and an intensive eradication program. 

Faulty Healthcare Infrastructure

Pakistan spends only 2% of its GNP (gross national product) on healthcare that is unable to provide adequate health infrastructure and service delivery in many parts of the countries, especially northern areas that are too remote. Although these efforts enjoy financial support from foreign organizations, their efficiency is compromised by the lack of transparency. Most of Pakistan’s remote areas are already affected by natural disasters or war against terror that pushes immunization efforts to secondary places. Some EPI centers don’t even have computerized records and logbooks of their activities that further complicates the process. Proper check and balance could have kept these centers alive, and eradication of Polio would have been more manageable that way.

A young female child was displaying a deformity of her right lower extremity. Photo: CDC

Lack of Awareness/Illiteracy 

Areas that have still have polio cases surfacing from are mostly those with meager literacy rates. These people don’t usually know about the disease and its severity. They don’t realize how handicapped their children can be, in case they get the disease. Government and Immunization firms first need to work on developing a sense of concern in parents. People can be easily convinced to vaccinate their kids if religious scholars are told to talk about this issue. Most of the time, the common public chooses to follow them, and this can be helpful here too! 

Oral vaccine Efficacy

Mostly in remote areas, it’s hard to keep the vaccines at the optimum temperatures required for its storage due to power outages. Some of the time, human errors also harm the vaccine. These harmed vaccines that contain weakened poliovirus can cause Polio if administered to children. Such incidents can raise suspicions about the vaccine’s efficacy among the public. 

Misconceptions About Polio Vaccines

Apart from rare polio cases caused by expired polio vaccines or wrong administration of the said, a large part of Pakistan’s population is also skeptical about its side effects. Infertility, body weakness, and even deaths are associated with wrongly with polio vaccines. Effective vaccination campaigns must also include clearing these misconceptions and raising awareness among the public. Parental refusals are mostly due to these misconceptions and others alike. Some even think that these vaccines contain monkey or pigs derived products. The repetitive pattern of administering vaccines is also doubted, and parents often feel that either these repeated visits are being done to ensure that the kids get sterilized, or somehow substandard vaccines were used for the first time. 

Security situations

One of the most significant factors involved, especially in former FATA, is the insecurity and continuous conflict in the region. Conflicts pushed vaccination down in the priorities list, and the dispersed population in those areas were not only mostly left unvaccinated but also unaware of the disease and its consequences in the first place. Immunization efforts from 1998 to 2005 resulted in a sharp decrease in poliovirus cases, but these started rising year by year after 2006 with Taliban insurgency. 

Negative Propaganda Against Polio Vaccine

The most commonly presented example is that of the CIA funded a fake hepatitis B campaign in Abbottabad. This campaign was used to trace Osama bin Laden. Most of the time, polio vaccination campaigns are associated with such spy activities too, and the vaccinators are thought of as US spies. It is saddening that vaccinators are getting shot in the streets, and the government has to provide them with security. Some people even quote fatwas against polio vaccines from so-called clerics. 

These are a few of the reasons that have been hindering Pakistan’s efforts against this tiny monster. Finally, out of conflicts and focusing on rebuilding its economy, Pakistan should also focus on its healthcare and develop a wholesome policy that concentrates on vaccination and especially the eradication of Polio. Because in this age of development, we need to make our coming generations safer!

Also, read; How we achieved the feat of eradicating Smallpox from planet earth

Social Distancing; United we Fall, Divided we Stand.

Faryal Qazi
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Social Distancing; United we Fall, Divided we Stand.

COVID-19 is caused by a new form of coronavirus. There exist many different kinds of coronavirus that are responsible for various diseases; however, this newly identified type is unique because it is contagious, which is believed to have been transmitted from animals to humans. According to revealed statistics from a research center of China in late February, there seem to be two main types of this virus –the ‘S’ type which infected about 30% of the population and emerged from animals while the second ‘L’ type is a changed form of the virus which is more robust and infected 70%.

However, research is still in progress and requires a sample of more than 150 individuals for any further investigation. This widespread virus is believed to have emerged in Wuhan city of China in a food market that brought in the notice of WHO authorities in China in late December when several patients were reported with pneumonia from an unknown virus. 

Once the epidemic in China, which most countries did not consider a serious threat, is now a global threat and is not just affecting humanity very severely, it is also a pandemic for the economies of the world. In fact, the US has labeled this virus outbreak as its worst crisis after the Great depression of 1929. However, contrary, we are depressed and scared of thousands of people dying from the virus, and stable world economies are experiencing a slight recession, there are also positive vibes that require equal contemplation. 

The initial epicenter of this virus outbreak was China’s city of Wuhan, where authorities at first were reluctant to acknowledge the outbreak of this epidemic. However, after realization, the steps took by China to control the outbreak are remarkable and so offer other nations the footsteps to be followed. Deputy editor of The Economist, while talking about measures by China, said, ‘Never in history had the country took such a drastic measure and applied them so rigorously.’ today, now as this pandemic is infecting other countries in the world the outbreak in China seems under control. For days there had been no reported cases of Covid-19, and the only reported cases are the imported ones upon which China has canceled all foreigners from entering its frontiers. 

The only rationale to put cities with Millions of dwellers under complete lockdown was SOCIAL DISTANCING. 

A LOOK into CHINA’S EFFECTIVE MEASURES

 As the threat of the outbreak of new disease seemed imminent, authorities in China rushed to contain its outbreak. On January 23, it locked its city of Wuhan, and 11 million people were in complete lockdown within hours of the announcement. People were completely prohibited from entering or leaving Wuhan city, and eventually, 15 other cities were also locked down. The only rationale to put cities with Millions of dwellers under complete lockdown was SOCIAL DISTANCING. 

There are only two key factors that contributed to China unlock its path to speedy recovery: First, imposing an overall Social distancing and Second, timely, and practical measures. According to China, the key to fight this disease was speed, speed, and speed. 

Besides, China, we have other examples of Singapore and South Korea as well who followed China, and today they seem somewhat relieved from the virus’s threats. It is said that until there is a vaccine for the virus, the only logical approach is the Prevention from the virus and the only way you can prevent the virus is by maintaining a social or physical distance. 

WHAT IS SOCIAL/PHYSICAL DISTANCING?

The term ‘social distancing’ is a widespread outcry these days you may be hearing them from politicians, celebrities, scientists, experts, etc. the word simply means that you should not come in to contact with anyone and must limit yourself to your homes and unless it’s indispensable you should stay at your homes. Whereas, if you go out for urgent or necessary work you must take precautions like wear gloves, avoid busy travel timings and above all should maintain at least 2 meters’ distance. 

When involved in any sort of monetary exchange, avoid direct touching of notes, for you never know that it might be touched by an infected individual. The people who really need to practice this social distancing the most are people above the age of 70, compromised or weak immune system, pregnant women, and patients of diabetes, cancer, or Aids. But everyone needs to practice it so the spread of the virus can be stopped for good. While the benefits of this distancing also include the reduced pressure on health care units, which is very much needed. 

Social distancing is very important. When involved in any sort of monetary exchange, avoid direct touching of notes, for you never know that it might be touched by an infected individual.
When involved in any sort of monetary exchange, avoid direct touching of notes, for you never know that it might be touched by an infected individual.

This social distancing was also among the key measures that were taken to fight the Spanish flu in 1918. 

It seems ironic to rely on such an old method for Prevention from a viral disease in such a globalized and technologically advanced world. But agree or disagree, yet this the only weapon we have to fight the disease. Although after trying to implement a policy of mitigation and avoiding severe measures like lockdown to put people at distances, many countries like UK, USA, and Italy finally came down to the administration of suppression. In mitigation, you simply put the infected patient in isolation, whereas, in the crackdown, you put everyone in isolation from everyone whether or not they are infected like in China. 

While it might not seem like a potential step to fight against COVID19 or seems painful and irritating to be under imposed isolation, but it is the best way right now to deal with this pandemic. We have plenty of examples in the world right now who did not consider social distancing seriously or lockdowns in their countries as a severe warning, and today they are among some worst-hit nations by the deadly virus. One of the very first examples in Italy, then in Spain, the US, and the UK. 

Italy at first seemed quite relieved of the threat and was hoping to get out this situation first in Europe. It delayed its response to the disease, and so the virus took the advantage and continued to infect the population. When the government shut down schools and education institutions, families simply went out on vacations! One can infer at least from this bit of information on how important it is to keep yourselves at home in isolation from other people and strictly follow your governments’ guidelines. If we all cooperate with our governments, we can overcome this crisis, we do not have to go through the horrors of this lethal and vicious virus. 

We can look into the ongoing situation of Spain, which is expected to become the new epicenter of this virus in Europe, surpassing Italy. Spain made the same mistake as Italy. It locked down its cities and imposed strict social distancing measures to prevent the transmission of the disease when reported cases exceeded 6000+ and locked down on March 14. 

Most of the politicians of the US, including President Donald Trump did not take the threat seriously, and until Trump announced a locked on March 22, the officials were still making baffling statements about the virus, and by April 2 it has 2,45,658 cases of positive covid-19 patients with more than 4000 deaths. Even now, the UK has been put under lockdown. It’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and health secretary are both tested positive of Covid-19. 

We have enough cases in time around the globe to know how we can effectively deal with the pandemic & its aftermaths. Where on the one hand, we have success stories like China, Singapore, and South Korea; we also have disturbing stories of Italy, Spain, the US, and the UK. Though the virus is new and there are a lot of uncertainties regarding its treatment and precautions, one thing is clear that unless we have a vaccine for it, the only way out for us is isolation or maintain Social Distance. Because if you are apart, you’re alone.  

Also, read Technocrat strategies of Pakistani media during pandemic days

Behold the Pink Supermoon!

Scientia
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Behold the Pink Supermoon!

In the midst of the ongoing pandemic, we were luckily blessed with a beautiful pink supermoon which is the third of the four supermoons for 2020! It was at a very close approach to the earth and looked mighty and breathtaking and was also brighter than usual. So, sit back and enjoy!

St. Louis The pink supermoon rises over St. Louis on Tuesday, April 7, 2020
The alluring supermoon rises high in the skies of St. Louis. Photo by David Carson
This picture, that was captured in central Kiev, Ukraine, shows the pink supermoon looking as magnificent as the monument in foreground. Photo by Reuters
This picture, that was captured in central Kiev, Ukraine, shows the supermoon looking as magnificent as the monument in the foreground. Photo by Reuters
The Minneapolis skyline was also graced by the spectacular phenomenon. Photo by Greg Lundgren
The Minneapolis skyline was also graced by the spectacular phenomenon. Photo by Greg Lundgren
A breathtaking image taken in Connecticut. Photo by Brian Wilson
A breathtaking image taken in Connecticut. Photo by Brian Wilson

There are many other astronomy events coming up this month. Here is what you can expect!

Lyrids Meteor Shower

On 22 April 2020, you can witness the Lyrids meteor shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd.

Planetary Conjunctions

Planetary Conjunctions will be apparent in the skies from 14 to 15 April 2020. In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when two astronomical objects or spacecraft have either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude, usually as observed from Earth. They will be as follows:

14 April – Moon and Jupiter, Moon and Mars.

15 April – Moon and Saturn conjunction.

Bright Venus

Venus will be at its brightest on 28 April 2020. Venus circles our Sun and is the second closest planet to it, at a separation of around 108 million km (67 million miles). One day on Venus is as long as 243 Earth days and Venus also rotates in reverse, with its Sun rising in the west and setting in the east.

Asteroid Flyby

Safe Flyby of asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 – the biggest asteroid due to fly by Earth this year – is coming closest on April 29, 2020. This space rock is probably at least a mile wide (1.8 km) and maybe 2 1/2 times that big (4.1 km).

Also Read: Brighten your day (or night) with these breathtaking astrophotographs

An Outclass conversation with Dr. Younas Khan on COVID19

Shahzaib Siddiqui
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An Outclass conversation with Dr. Younas Khan on COVID19

In the realm of infectious disease, a pandemic is a worst-case scenario when an epidemic spreads beyond a countries borders and causes an overwhelming threat or death toll worldwide or some major parts around the globe. The recent COVID19 outbreak shows that men still need to learn the safest battle against pandemics/viruses, and people need to know more about the viral disease.

 Dr. Younas is a famous science writer credited for the numerous excellent and informative articles, published in reputable Pakistani magazines like Global Science, No Nihaal, Taleem o Tarbiyat, and others. More often then not, he writes on Biology, Chemistry, and health issues, and elaborate facts from medical science in a simplistic manner that caught the overwhelming attention of layman in Pakistan. Dr. Younas has done his MBBS from Dow Medical College Karachi and currently practicing in the Dow School of health sciences.

Dr Younas Khan
Dr. Younas Khan

Here, we are presenting a few excerpts of his recent conversation with Shahzaib Siddiqui, a science writer, researcher, and contributor to Scientia Pakistan. 

Shahzaib: Please explain what is, first of all, a virus and whether it is living or non-living thing?

Dr. YK: Scientists are still feeling confused regarding the exact answer to this question. The virus does not fulfill the usual criteria for defining life. It does not reproduce; it has no metabolism and no protoplasm either. It is an obligate parasite, which means that it thrives on other living things only.  It has a simple structure and a size varying from 10nm to 300nm. It has no organelles. It is a briefcase of protein with DNA or RNA, any one of the two, and an external envelope of lipid. This lipid is the same as butter and oil and can steal from the host.

Shahzaib: How does Coronavirus attack the cell?

Dr. YK: Well, it can’t move or fly or exhibit any other kind of locomotion. It is transferred from host to host. In the case of the Corona, it transfers via the respiratory system. It can transmit by coughing, sneezing, and even simple breathing. It is important to note that when a patient coughs or sneezes into his hands and then touches various objects like doorknobs and keyboards. It is very much possible that the virus can land on another person’s hand when the same things are touched. And we touch our mouth and face with these infected hands, yes, the virus can be transmitted. This is an ideal and classical way for the spread of Corona. That is because maintaining distance from a visibly sick person who is coughing is easy, but you never know about the things you touch in daily life.

Shahzaib: How is the virus? Can Coronavirus be upgraded or mutated?

Dr. YK:  In a normal evolution process, the mutations are prevalent. Cells have repairing systems. Since this virus depends on the host cell, its mutations are never repaired. So, a new strain or family evolves. The virus may be upgraded to form a new disease or sometimes be downgraded so that it becomes useless. The chances of both are equal since it is a random mutation.

Shahzaib: Is the panic created worldwide, worth it, or merely an overreaction?

Dr. YK: It is both right and wrong. Right because the virus has a remarkable capacity to transfer between hosts, so it is dangerous. Wrong because the death rate due to it is comparatively less. Average 2 to 3 percent of patients are dying.

Shahzaib: What is the role of age and immunity in being affected?

Dr. YK: Well, anyone can be affected. As per available statistics in Pakistan, each day, more than 200 peoples are testing positive of COVID19. The disease is divided into four stages, and interestingly the first one is symptomless. The second one has mild symptoms like a cough, third is moderate while the fourth stage is severe, and fifth, the last stage is critical and life-threatening. The people above age 60 usually suffer in the critical stage.

Shahzaib: Are the countries got rid of COVID19, like China, at risk of the second infection or a kind of annual attack?

 Dr.YK: Yes. As we have seen that China is now free of Coronavirus, but we should keep in mind that it was a single person who caused this pandemic and global threat. It can be spread again because people are not at all immune to it, and the world will have to be cautious for a long while. Clinically, respiratory infections will decrease in the future because people have had it inculcated in their habits to be careful now.

Shahzaib: Is it possible to make viruses in the lab? What do you think about the famous myth that Coronavirus is a biological weapon?

Dr. YK: Some misconceptions and myths are prevailing in our society. We cannot make a whole virus as that would mean synthesizing and arranging the 30 to 40 000 nucleotides that its genome is comprised of, which is not possible. Although there may be an already existing virus that has a structural similarity with it, like SARS and MERS, in this case, we have Mouse Hepatitis Virus. Its structure matches that of Corona very much. It also belongs to the family of Coronaviridae. So, if we try to do some tweak in a virus gene in the laboratory, it is possible to make a strain. But a virus cannot be made from scratch.

Shahzaib: The glycoproteins on its surface prove it to be natural. Correct?

Dr. YK: Yes, protein synthesis in labs is not possible yet.

Shahzaib: What do you think, will the ongoing pandemic end itself like MERS and SARS?

Dr. YK: The infection capability of Coronavirus is very unlikely compared to other pandemics in the history of humankind. The virus can transfer from a very minute concentration of a respiratory fluid. SARS affected 8000 people, with 700 to 800 deaths reported. On the other hand, MERS affected the Middle East only, and there were 800 to 900 deaths. Scientists are working, and hopefully, a vaccine will soon develop. After that, the virus spread could be controlled if not ultimately ends. 

Shahzaib: What treatment do hospitals have for Corona patients that are not possible at home?

Dr. YK: I have discussed the five levels of COVID previously. The mild to moderate levels can be treated at home as the treatment is symptomatic, e.g., if you have a fever, take Panadol. 

In severe cases, oxygen is required. Medicines and antibiotics may be required because of the chances of getting a secondary bacterial infection. The patient can go in shock. In critical cases, a ventilator is needed. So, at these two stages, going to the hospital becomes necessary.

Shahzaib: What will you say, whether taking the Steam is beneficial and how about warm drinks?

Dr. YK: Well, every educated person knows that there is no truth in this statement, and this is only a myth that is not medically confirmed so far. The virus has entered a cell and is thus protected by it. Maybe if you’re not affected yet and take Steam daily, you might not get the virus. Prevention is always better than cure.

Shahzaib: Once the virus entered the human body, how long does it take to get active? How long before the symptoms start showing?

Dr.Yk: This is called the incubation period and can vary for 2 to 14 days. This data is a month old now and already outdated. Now it seems that a mere 8 to 10 hours are also sufficient. It may exceed 14 days too. On average, 4 to 5 days, I would say.

Shahzaib: There are 20 types all over the world right now. True?

Dr. Yk: Yes, all viruses have strained, but there are only minor differences between these strains. It does not pose a barrier to making a vaccine.

Also, Read: A well-cited research by a Pakistani author, Engr Mohammad Nawaz

How we achieved the feat of eradicating smallpox from planet earth

Maham Maqsood
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How we achieved the feat of eradicating smallpox from planet earth

In almost every science textbook, the origin of the term “vaccine” and its development is paired with the disease smallpox. The two are very closely linked with each other, and surely the disease is one of the primary reasons we have the miraculous medical phenomenon of vaccine, which saves uncountable lives every year. The story of how it all came to be is an interesting one and can be of hope in the dire times as now when we need not just one but several rays of hope to fight and get out of the crazy situation caused by the coronavirus.

So, let’s dive into the history of this disease and how keen observation by one talented physician lead to one of humankind’s greatest achievements.

Vile Beginnings

The exact origin of how smallpox came to be is not known, but it dates to thousands of years ago. Excavated Egyptian mummies that belonged to almost 3rd century BCE were found to have rashes that were similar to the patients who had the disease. Some descriptions have also been found over the course of history in India and China. Ten thousand years ago, this deadly disease, caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor, also created havoc in Africa. In 1350 B.C., the epidemic of smallpox hit the Egypt-Hittite war. It spread from prisoners to the people around and even killed the Hittite King. It continued to wreck other civilizations, aided by the extended trade routes and increased exploration during that time.

3000 year-old mummy of the Pharaoh Ramses V, shows traces of smallpox pustules on the head. (Image Credits: WHO)
3000 year-old mummy of the Pharaoh Ramses V, shows traces of smallpox pustules on the head. (Image Credits: WHO)

The virus causes lesions across the skin and body, rashes, and scars. According to the records, almost 30% percent of the patients passed away, and many recovered. Some even had to go through the danger of losing eyesight. The incubation period of the virus usually lasts a week to a fortnight, and no apparent symptoms appear on the patient. Initially, diseased individuals developed fever and body ache, which later transitioned into rashes, which were contagious. Lesions and scar may also have fluid in the middle causing extreme discomfort to the patient. Those who successfully fought it off, had scabs that fall off, leaving low to zero chances of contagion.

Start of descent

Even though smallpox was quite a nasty disease, it did help a lot in the development of what we in the modern-day call “vaccine.” But, mind you, the process of its eradication didn’t start with vaccination. In 1022 A.D., a book called ‘The Correct Treatment of Smallpox’ mentioned using smallpox scabs taken from a recovered patient and grinding it up to give to healthy individuals. This method was proposed by a Buddhist nun who developed it after noticing that the individuals who recovered from this disease never acquired it again. This method was called “variolation” and was later used for many years after physicians would make slight changes and hone it. It didn’t really make everyone immune to the virus, but the disease development ratio decreased quite significantly.

The real success, however, is attributed to the work done by Edward Jenner. When he was 13 years old, Jenner worked as an assistant to a country surgeon in Sodbury and once heard a milkmaid claim that she will never have smallpox as she has already had cowpox and will never go through the phase of having a face marked with lesions. This was an intriguing statement for the young boy.

Edward Jenner vaccinating a child. He is considered as the ‘Father of Immunology’ for his great contributions towards vaccine development. (Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Cowpox is another type of skin infection that infects cows. The cowpox virus belongs to the same family of viruses as smallpox, called Orthopoxvirus. Cowpox itself is very similar to smallpox but is a much less severe and contagious form. Jenner later analyzed the statement of the milkmaid when he became a physician himself and noted that what she said was right. When the cowpox virus infects a host different than the original one, in this case, humans, it was less virulent and not as deadly. He then decided to test if it could be used in the treatment of smallpox. So, on the historic day of May 14, 1796, he tested the fluid taken from cowpox blister of a milkmaid, Sarah Nelmes, on the skin of a young boy of eight named James Phipps. The latter developed a fever for a few days but recovered fairly soon.

Some months later, Jenner injected in the boy matter from a smallpox scar, but remarkably the boy did not develop the disease. It meant that he was now safe from it and will never possibly acquire smallpox ever again. This successful method was used for further experimentation, and the physician summarized his work in his treatise “On the Origin of Vaccine Inoculation,” hoping that it will overthrow the deadly sickness. After long discussions and reviews by the health establishment, vaccinations were finally approved. In the following centuries, the procedure was further improved, and scientists started to create new vaccines to fight other diseases such as tetanus, measles, polio, and many more.

Global efforts

Extensive vaccination programs, that we commonly hear of today, were also initiated around the world to combat health scares. Various programs such as those under the belt of the World Health Organization and regional and local governments were launched to take control over such threats and ultimately perish them with combined efforts.

A poster released by WHO in 1979, commemorating the annihilation of smallpox
A poster released by WHO in 1979, commemorating the annihilation of smallpox

World Health Organization designed and introduced a campaign in 1959 to remove the virus, but the plan received several setbacks. Over the next few years, outbreaks were still occurring, and many people were getting infected with the virus. A more organized program was initiated almost eight years later, and the labs in endemic countries were tasked to produce higher quality vaccines that they successfully delivered. Along with that widespread campaigns, improved surveillance systems and medical equipment also helped to alleviate the problem. Soon, countries across the regions of North America and Europe started to report good progress, and finally, by 1977, smallpox was annihilated.

On May 8, 1980, the world was officially declared free of this ailment by WHO and was indeed one of the biggest conquest health-wise. But the stocks of the virus are still contained in some laboratories that claim to require them for research purposes. International consensus led to reduce and limit the number of stocks and only store them in centers with tight regulations and security so as to avoid any potential use in bioterrorism. The two locations that have the official WHO licenses to handle and store it are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, and the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology (VECTOR Institute) in Koltsovo, Russia.

Lessons learned

The impact of vaccination on controlling diseases is indeed very large and can’t be explained in a few words. Diseases like malaria, polio, and measles, etc. that once threatened the lives of millions and took away many precious souls are now within our control, although some underdeveloped regions are still struggling, but the cause is more social and regional than medical. We are in a new wave with mind-blowing technologies and advancement in fields that have elevated the level of services provided and improved the overall quality of life.

With the looming threat of coronavirus, it is in our nature to be scared and intimidated, but we should not forget the achievements this same nature unlocked in previous ages and brought us to the most advanced period in history. If we work together, observe keenly, and put in our best efforts, without a doubt, we can bring this coronavirus down to its knees just like smallpox and every other epidemic in history. It is the matter of will to face it and the courage that should be kept ignited to show that WE CAN, and WE WILL crush it!

Also Read: Viruses = Villains? Not Always!

HIV in Pakistan – An alarming Threat

Sabeeka Zafar
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HIV in Pakistan – An alarming Threat

During this pandemic outbreak, as we all are frightened by the upsurge spread of coronavirus in our communities, some other viruses will soon be an alarming threat to all of us if we continue to keep an ostrich-like attitude towards them; HIV is one of them. 

According to the recent reports of UNAIDS, Pakistan is ranked as the 11th country with a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS. According to the available data of 2018, 160,000 HIV cases had been reported, and out of these, around 110,000 were men; 48,000 women; and 5,500 children under the age of 15, having a provincial distribution of 

1. Punjab – 75,000,

2. Sindh – 60,000, 

3. Baluchistan – 5000,

4. KPK – 15000.

The marginalized communities are the main target of this epidemic, including sex workers, drug addicts, transgender, and homosexuals. The poverty and hunger that prevail in our society have increased the prostitution rate, forcing young girls to work as sex workers, sent to the middle east by the mafias, where they contract AIDS and then become a means for the spread of disease. Transgender people are also the victim of the devastating economy of this country that compels them to work as sex workers and contributes to 7.6% of AIDS-infected patients. Homosexuals are another target and add almost 85,000 patients of AIDS

But, unfortunately, even this statistical estimate is not compelling enough to open the eyes of authorities, urging them to break the taboos, making people take it seriously and talk about it when its annual spread has reached 20,000 patients per year. Instead of taking substantial measures to combat the spread of this detrimental disease, our federation is busy playing the blame game, making the figure of patients a dispute between provinces; that whether the highest number of AIDS patients are in Punjab or Sindh. In 1987, a National AIDS Prevention and Control Programme (NACP) was launched by the federation, with the main target of blood screening along with health promotion and HIV education activities for the general public. Still, it ended up being a total flop because of the lack of funding and proper strategy needed to run the program. No special funds are allocated for the treatment of HIV patients, and people are not even aware of this virus or about its spread. This is the root cause of why the number is effectively declining in other countries but keeps on aggravating in our country by leaps and bounds.

What is HIV?

HIV (human immune deficiency syndrome) is a virus that attacks cells of the body (CD4 cells, often called T cells) fighting against the disease, damaging the immune system, making it vulnerable to life-threatening opportunistic infections.

There is no effective cure for HIV; once you get it, you have to live with it your whole life. The only treatment for HIV is antiviral therapy (ART) that can prolong the life span, effectively make the viral load undetectable with no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative person.

Stages of HIV

If HIV is left untreated, it progresses in stages, getting worse with time. HIV mainly has three stages 

There are several stages in HIV infection. Source: NIH
There are several stages in HIV infection. Source: NIH

Stage 1: Acute HIV infection

Being the earliest stage, it develops within 2 to 4 weeks after infection, with mild symptoms of flu, fever, headache, and rash. The level of HIV in the blood greatly increases during this stage, attacking and destroying the CD4cells of the immune system and multiplies rapidly throughout the body, increasing the risk of HIV transmission. 

Stage 2: Chronic HIV infection

During chronic HIV infection (also known as symptomatic HIV infection or clinical latency), the virus spreads slowly with the patient having not any particular HIV related symptoms. People being treated with ART can remain in this stage for decades, and having an undetectable viral load makes them less to nearly non-prone to transmit the virus to an HIV-negative partner through sex. But those without ART may get AIDS in 10 years or longer depending on the progression of the disease.

Stage 3: AIDS

AIDS is the final stage of HIV, chronic; potentially life-threating infers when HIV completely damages the immune system, making the body prone to all opportunistic infections (Infections that affect the body having a weak immune system rather than having a healthy one). People having AIDS have a CD4 count of fewer than 200 cells/mm3. People diagnosed with HIV have a very high viral load, with a significant risk of transmitting it to others. The patient’s survival rate is not more than three years if left untreated.

How HIV spreads?

HIV can only be transmitted via certain body fluids from a person having a detectable viral load. These fluids include

  • Blood
  • Semen (cum) and pre-seminal fluid
  • Rectal fluids
  • Vaginal fluids
  • Breast milk

The fluids that have HIV get into the bloodstream of an HIV negative person via a mucous membrane (found inside the rectum, vagina, penis, and mouth.), cuts, or direct injection for transmission to occur. Major activities that lead to its transmission include unprotected sex; through sharing injecting equipment, from mother-to-baby during pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding; and through contaminated blood transfusions. 

How it hijacks the immune system?

“HIV is like a jack-in-the-box,” says Sriram Subramaniam, a biophysicist at the National Cancer Institute who peers at HIV with electron microscopes.

3D-Model of HIV
3D-Model of HIV

HIV has a round-shaped shell studded with spikes that encapsulates the genetic material of the virus. Virus’s genetic material needs to get into the cell to infect it, which requires the shell to pop open. When HIV enters the body, it bumps into the T4 cells, the primary target of HIV. T cells got finger-like projections, including one CCR5 that fixes on HIV spikes, exploits its machinery, and uses it to multiply inside the host cell.  

At the initial stage, the body copes against the virus by increasing the production of CD4 cells. But when it fails to produce enough amount of CD4 cells, the amount of virus multiplies in the body to an amount that becomes uncontrollable. Then the virus destroys the patient’s immune system, making it unable to fight the infectious diseases, leading to sickness.

How to contain the spread of HIV?

As it is evident from the statics that the number of patients is snowballing every single day and if we continue to act ignorant to the threat this virus has posed on us, we will soon have to deal with an uncontrollable catastrophic situation.

But it is still not too late if especially our government shows an act of responsibility and takes some preventive measures, their vital role can prove very efficient in eradicating this virus- making it an HIV free environment for us. Some important actions the government should immediately take are

  • Reuse of syringes should be wholly banned instead replace them with auto-disable syringes
  • The government should announce an extra budget for HIV/AIDS patients along with the reservation of a fixed number of beds for these patients in every hospital.
  • In high schools, colleges, and universities, there should be a compulsory drug addiction test of students. All drug addicts must be screened for AIDS; those with a positive test should be sent to treatment centers.
  • The government should strengthen the NACP department by providing them with proper funds and keeping it under appropriate check and balance.
  • The special program should be launched by the government that looks after all the factors involved in the spread of this disease and takes the necessary measures needed to eliminate them from society.
  • Print and Electronic media should be used effectively to spread awareness of this virus among the masses.

No government can alone combat this deadly virus if each of us will not play our due part. Like polio, we cannot own another virus for the coming decades when the rest of the world has eradicated every single trace of it from there land. Pakistan is a third world country with the two-third of our population below the poverty line, we have far more severe issues to deal with, where we are not ready to face another catastrophic situation like this. It is the need of the time to take this issue seriously, take all the effective measures to prevent this virus from consuming us all wholly.

Also Read: Your ultimate guide to Covid-19

Astronomy Events in April 2020

Scientia
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Astronomy Events in April 2020

This April is going to be a great month for astronomy lovers as many amazing events will occur on the skies. Here is a sneak peek of what you can expect!

Pink Super Moon

On 8 April 2020, there will be the Pink Super moon. The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be fully illuminated. This is also the third of four super moons for 2020. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.

Lyrids Meteor Shower

On 22 April 2020, you can witness the Lyrids meteor shower. The Lyrids is an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25. It peaks this year on the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd.

Planetary Conjunctions

Planetary Conjunctions will be apparent in the skies from 14 to 15 April 2020. In astronomy, a conjunction occurs when two astronomical objects or spacecraft have either the same right ascension or the same ecliptic longitude, usually as observed from Earth. They will be as follows:

The Moon in conjunction with Venus and Jupiter, with the Very Large Telescope in the foreground. Image © Y. Beletsky, 2009. April astronomy event
The Moon in conjunction with Venus and Jupiter, with the Very Large Telescope in the foreground. Image © Y. Beletsky, 2009.

14 April – Moon and Jupiter, Moon and Mars.

15 April – Moon and Saturn conjunction.

Bright Venus

Venus will be at its brightest on 28 April 2020. Venus circles our Sun and is the second closest planet to it, at a separation of around 108 million km (67 million miles). One day on Venus is as long as 243 Earth days and Venus also rotates in reverse, with its Sun rising in the west and setting in the east.

Asteroid Flyby

Safe Flyby of asteroid (52768) 1998 OR2 – the biggest asteroid due to fly by Earth this year – is coming closest on April 29, 2020. This space rock is probably at least a mile wide (1.8 km) and maybe 2 1/2 times that big (4.1 km).

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