Amid Coronavirus crisis when everyone advises making this quarantine a quality time with your family, but not everyone is blessed to have such moments with their loved ones. One such example is Pakistani students who have been stuck in China and other European countries for months, their courage and patience for bearing such a crisis must be appreciated. Below is an exciting conversation with Ayesha khan, which not only shows how the international students managed crises without families but also tells how they spent their days staying positive. Ayesha Khan is a student at Wuhan University pursuing her M.S in economics. Currently, she is in Wuhan along with other Pakistani students, where after many months of severe lockdown, life is getting back to normal.
Ayesha, a Pakistani student in Wuhan during lockdown
Faryal: It’s been months now that Pakistani students have been stranded in China when the lockdown was imposed in Wuhan. How did Students manage the crisis and survived in such a strict quarantine?
Ayesha: The word quarantine was entirely unfamiliar to me when we were locked in our dormitories. At first, we thought that it would be no more than a week, but later on, we came to know more about the epidemic many students were panic and their families were worried about their safety. To stay under one roof for more than two months without seeing the sky was very disturbing. Then students started playing, cooking together, and do some indoor fun activities, but somewhere inside, everyone was afraid of being affected.
It was the time when everyone was mentally disturbed so many were gone through anxiety and depression and other psychological issues even many students were afraid to express their normal fever or headache for not being panic to others. But we were told to take strict health precautions like wear masks, use disinfectants in our rooms and wash hands with sanitizer frequently and immediately after coming in contact with anything out of our dorms, and drink more water and inform the hostel management about daily body temperature.
I have some friends, so many other students who were already graduated but still stuck here even their visas were expired flights canceled. Universities didn’t allow anyone to go out form hostels.so many people had many issues that were delayed because of lockdown .hence still the lockdown is not wholly lifted for international students. They can just get out to play daily for two hours but even cannot go out from the university campus. It is strict, but it is safe.
Faryal: How much life changed in Wuhan after lockdown has been lifted? Do you feel like a new life or a new beginning?
Ayesha: Officially lockdown is lifted on 8th April 2020, but not entirely, and international students are still not allowed to go out from the campus. People with written permission and health code can go out for their duties and even only they can take public transport and enter any public place that has health cards. Now the Chinese Government has also started this health code service for foreigners. I already get my health code, but many students still didn’t get health code, so overall, we don’t have any experience now of the outer life in Wuhan.
Faryal: How did the Chinese government help you and what assistance did the Pakistani Embassy provide during a lockdown?
Ayesha: During the lockdown, our university and Chinese government support us in a very positive and helping way by providing necessities Such as vegetable fruit, oil, rice, and sanitizer. Anything halal like chicken and meat, there was a delivery service to the room of every student, which was a great relief to stay safe in quarantine in our hostels. Meanwhile, the Pakistani embassy gave us a helping hand and transferred 3500 RMB to each student account who was stuck here in Wuhan. Some focal persons were sent from the Pakistan embassy to Wuhan to meet with Almost every university student group and listen and try to solve their problem and assured all students to assist whenever they need. Besides, the embassy also provided 750 RMB to each student as a package for Ramadan.
Faryal: What do you advise to other overseas Pakistani, how to manage the Crisis during Quarantine?
Ayesha: This crisis is not the same in all countries; the situation is worst in other countries as compared to Pakistan, so don’t be panic. It is an art to live a balanced life and consumption of goods in low resources, which will enhance more creativity, productivity, and polish the will power of individuals. For example, on regular days if we eat food from a restaurant which costs pretty high but if we make the same food at home, it will cost much lower and also can learn the art of healthy cooking. So stay positive and have proper rest at home; spend some precious time with the family together with its an opportunity to know each other intimately.
Faryal: What would you like to suggest /advise to your countrymen who are still facing Lockdown in Pakistan? How can they manage the stress of complete isolation and work-at-home peacefully?
Ayesha: I would like to suggest, take good care of your health and follow precautions and the instructions of WHO and local governments which can help them stay safe. They should wear masks, avoid social gatherings, keep social distances, and wash hands frequently, don’t go outside if not necessary. Pakistan has an entirely dependent family system like an extended nuclear system, that can result in a disaster. You can spend your time with your family members, watch good movies, do some indoor fun activities like cooking, reading books preparing kids lessons in a fun way to teach them at home. It’s a break from a busy, stressed life enjoy it calmly.
Faryal: What are the greatest challenges you are facing now in Wuhan especially for education?
Ayesha: Now the situation is better in Wuhan, but there are restrictions on people’s movements yet, and there are no such problems related to education, they are delivering online lectures and providing everything to students online. Yes, those students who have to complete their research work in labs as a requirement for their graduation till June, are facing research issue, they need to do experiments in labs with all equipment for they can be able to write their thesis. The government gives some relaxation to them sometime later.
Faryal: How did Students among help each other to cope up with the crisis during quarantine?
Ayesha: Here in Wuhan, we students are here as a family; they shared good bonding during the lockdown. They all are away from our homes and experiencing the same situation so they can help each other in studies, especially related majors. Moreover, they can share good ideas for social well-being. Positive counseling is a better way to cope with all kinds of stress and panic situations.
NASA is hosting a special edition NASA APPS COVID-19 CHALLENGE on May 30-31, 2020. This special Space-Apps edition is being organized in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES).
NASA SPACE-APP CHALLENGE
All coders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, storytellers, makers, builders, artists, and technologists are invited to participate in this virtual hackathon.
The participants can join from all over the world and during the 48 hours, they will get the opportunity to bring innovative, creative ideas to tackle the issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic by using Earth observation data.
The need of SpaceApps Challenge COVID-19
NASA and its partner space agencies enable its participants to provide a helping hand in this global crisis. At the beginning of the global outbreak, NASA, ESA, JAXA, CSA, and CNES Earth scientists have been investigating ways to utilize Earth observation information to better explain the interplay of the Earth system from worldwide to national. The hackathon will investigate the human and economic reaction to the virus.
Categories of Challenges
There are a number of categories of challenges in which participants can work to find solutions. These Challenges vary from the analysis of the coronavirus that triggers COVID-19, its transmission, the effect of the disease on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and many more. These challenges can be viewed here: https://covid19.spaceappschallenge.org/challenges/covid-challenges
Registration:
In Pakistan, RaheQamar Pvt. Ltd. is the official organizer of this virtual hackathon. It is being organized in Karachi, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and Islamabad virtually. Participants can register their teams or even as individuals to work on different challenges. To register for this virtual hackathon, Register here: https://covid19.spaceappschallenge.org/
About Author: Zuneira Ibrahim. Zuneira is a student of Space Science at ISST, University of Karachi. She has a keen interest in the latest technological developments in Space science & tech. She is the Content Researcher at RaheQamar Pvt. Ltd.)
It has been about three months since everything shut down and activities halted due to this lamentable Coronavirus pandemic. It started in Wuhan, China, and spread across the world like wildfire. With the number of cases shooting across the globe, whole countries had to close their markets, institutes, and public places to ensure social distancing. Quarantined for an indefinite period, the public feels trapped and stressed out. Who knew we would be challenged by Nature with such a nerve-wracking situation? People all around me are affected irrespective of their occupation and location. To dig up some pent-up feelings, Scientia Pakistan carried out a survey as to how exactly people feel about this situation and what they are doing during this trying time.
Arij Najeeb is a student of MS Biochemistry at Michigan State University. She lives in Westland, Michigan. She could not attend college due to severe lockdown restrictions, but online classes are an excellent alternative, thanks to technology. In her area, all shopping malls, gyms are closed, and all outdoor activities she did before this pandemic are affected. Arij said that even inviting friends to my place feels scary. Despite being alone, I observed that people have become more empathetic, revealing a bright side of humanity and all the things humans took for granted before.
But the pandemic affected negatively more than its positive impacts as people cannot go anywhere without the risk of getting sick and the fear of going out and interacting with others that put a heavy toll on their mental health. We, humans, are uncertain and afraid of what the future holds and when will the pandemic ends. A large number of people have lost their jobs, all plans canceled, so yeah, it’s depressing, but we should remain optimistic that’s the only way to prevail our sanity.”
Arij spent most of her time under quarantine studying, cook, cycling, playing board games, etc. She is unsure about when the lockdown will end. The damage that has occurred will not go back to normal anytime soon, it can take a couple of months to get back to routine lives.”
Arij believes that developing an affective coronavirus vaccine is not an easy task, and scientists and researchers are working hard; hopefully, they will come up with something to eradicate this virus. The US Govt government is helpful in this situation and providing the best at our places. People here are patient and waiting for things to get back to the way they were.
Shahzadi Kausar is a housewife from Islamabad. Since most of her time spent on house chores, her routine affected severely after lockdown because her husband and kids are at home. Her other activities, like going on walks and shopping excursions, are ceased. She now spends more time cooking, spending more time with her family, and tries to keep herself busy with prayers and religious activities. “The positive outcome of this pandemic, she thinks, is that people have started appreciating smaller things in life, the value and importance of family gatherings and events, etc., which were previously thought of as a burden. People have also begun to concentrate on their flaws and seeking forgiveness from Allah. The negative impact is, of course, that everything is closed, including markets, parks, recreational places, important offices, etc. The functions like weddings have postponed or limited to small gatherings that seem a good impact of the pandemic. Mentally, the Coronavirus has spread fear and depression among the masses.”
Her new pastimes include regular Quran recitation, prayers, and following sunnah. And because of the lockdown, she is free to catch up on her long-delayed sewing projects! She hopes that everything is normal before Ramazan. “I don’t know much about what work is actually and sincerely being done, but I bet it’s a lot less compared to the fuss and hype created on media.” Yes, I realize that the government is trying its best, and things are still available in grocery stores, but people here are not cooperative to the government in following strict social distancing and other precautionary measures.
Obaidullah Abid is an Olevel student from Lahore. They now have online classes during regular school timings.
Abid says, “Life has changed now as we can’t meet friends and relatives because of the fear of getting infected. Plus I can’t also play outdoor sports, that I miss the most! The atmosphere is cleaner, there is less pollution, and the ozone layer is also recovering. A negative effect is that supplies are running out as people are freaking out and buying extra stuff to stock up in their houses and not caring bout others, especially the poor and needy.
Since people have more time to spend with their families, I think that’s good for improving their mental health, Abid added.
He plays board games, PS4, indoor sports like table tennis with his brother. And most importantly, he has started praying five times regularly during Ramzan.” I think a few months, around four to seven, will see the normalization in our old routines. But our government is not efficient as even after the lockdown, people are taking social distancing seriously.
Amna Usman Kazi is a Doctor based in Lahore and teaches at medical college. Since the students have gone home, teaching has been limited to online lectures only.Corona has completely disturbed her routine Life.On the positive side, she spends more time with her family. The surroundings are pure and clean due to fewer humans roaming around destroying Nature.The most negative impact of Coronavirus is the irreparable loss of lives.The fear of Corona and the depression of Quarantine has a significant psychological effect on our society. People are frustrated, short-tempered, and melancholic.She uses her extra time for family bonding, homeschooling her kids, online lectures, baking, cooking, and reading.“She believes that With complete lockdown, we can get hold of the situation in 4 to 6 weeks; until then, we have to strictly follow the social distancing.
Yes, the scientists and researchers are doing their best, the problem is that the virus mutates every now and then, but let’s pray we can overcome that too.
Shema Arsalan practices Medicine and lives in Gujrat.” I encounter many patients that are in danger due to lack of facilities.”
The Corona pandemic has forced Shema to compromise with family time. A positive effect is that accidents, street crimes, and pollution have all been reduced. The negative impact is the inculcation of fear, which will take much time to go away. Trauma and anxiety negatively affect mental health. During the lockdown, she keeps herself busy with her work and domestic chores. She thinks it will take about 1 to 2 years for things to return to normal. Yes, the scientific research community is working hard to develop a vaccine for the virus.
Amber Khalid is a housewife and mother. She lives in Washington, US. “My work and daily chores have increased twice, or I should say thrice since my kids and husband are home 24/7.I have to make more food, do more cleaning and laundry, keep up with my kids’ study schedules and put in more effort to discipline them. The list goes on! “
A positive impact on her daily routine is that she doesn’t have to drive the kids to and from school anymore. Since their extracurricular activities are no more, they have learned to get along with each other and play together. “We spend more time together as a family and do activities together as well. On another note, we also have time to ponder our flaws and shortcomings and think about how we can be a better version of ourselves once this pandemic is over. Now I use these 24 hours more efficiently to do more stuff than before. I am thankful to Allah, peoples’ priorities have been changed, their focus has been shifted to what is more important and necessary. I observed that we wasted time on things that are not of importance. The real thing is our relationship with family and friends, with God, and we should give them attention and time to attain peace.
Khadija has done her M Phil in Psychology from NIP, Quaid-e-Azam University. Being a housewife and mother living in Islamabad, she observed so many changes in the personal life and the lives of her people. Anxiety after hearing the news and concern for her family’s safety is the most substantial effect. Going out is totally banned, and even playing and strolling on the lawn is limited. Entertaining a toddler with a never-ending reserve of energy is her primary job during this lockdown. Apart from physical safety, like washing hands and sanitizing the house, keeping everyone mentally healthy is a big challenge. Explaining to kids why they can’t go out, even to school, is no easy task. The biggest challenge for her is keeping her family physically, emotionally, and mentally healthy. Entertaining her daughter, who is too young to understand what’s going on, is quite a challenge. Not being able to go outside, to play, to shop, to eat, and meet people is taking an emotional toll on everyone.” Being a psychologist, I am trying to keep the environment in my home healthy and productive. News and television are limited and discussed to relieve anxiety, thus providing emotional catharsis and support for each other. I try to develop activities that will keep family members and children busy like arts and crafts, writing, cooking, board games, etc. It’s essential that along with our physical safety, we look after our mental well-being as well.”
“One positive aspect of the whole situation is that we’re getting a chance to restart. Everyone is at home and has time to think about their lives and what they were doing. Priorities are being reset, and goals redefined. We’re learning what really matters.” The negative aspect is the lack of socialization and limited physical touch. “I have to think twice before I hug or kiss my daughter because I don’t want to harm her.”
She’s sure the scientific community is doing its best to find a solution, and most governments are showing full support.
Corona, having resulted in countrywide closure of schools, and we are teaching from home now.” While we are being paid, I’m not sure what the situation is for the smaller and less established schools across the city.” Where baking is concerned, her orders have also taken a hit. People want to order but aren’t because of the current circumstances. Basically, not being able to go outside or to the market to window shop or hang out with friends can be very frustrating. One way it’s had a positive impact is that the environment has started to recover somewhat worldwide. Satellite images show decreased pollution in many countries across the globe. One negative effect would be that the earnings of daily wagers or let’s say, someone running a school canteen, have taken a massive hit. In Pakistan, we already have plenty of people under the poverty line. She thinks the impact on mental health is mixed.” It’s definitely given us time with our families and our thoughts, but I believe there is also a negative aspect. Fear of the unknown future. Not being able to plan things.”
During the lockdown, she eats, watches movies/dramas, tries to get some little housework in, sits in the garden, walks, and bakes.
Dr. Muahammad Mazhar Iqbal is a Professor of Economics at Cust University and residing in Islamabad. His university is closed for the past month. Office timings are no more observed, but online classes are going on as well as meetings per schedule.There is a specific restriction on social activities. There are no prayers in the mosque, no morning walks and regular trips to the bazaar, and no meet up with friends and relatives.
“Everyone, especially teachers like me, can spend more time with family members and concentrate on research and pending work due to relaxation from regular classes. Also, I think that the link between the rich and deprived of society is strengthened.
He feels lonely and distressed, being away from university and colleagues. Coronavirus has affected mental health, both negatively and positively. Contrary because of the continuous news of increasing deaths due to Corona. It creates panic a state of fear is taking over. Positive because the idea of the Sovereignty and Oneness of Allah is strengthened. During the lockdown, he helps around in house chores and devotes more time to spiritually uplifting activities like attending spiritual talks online.
Muhammad Usman Aslam is an MS Student, studying in Fulda, Germany. He came to visit Pakistan during his semester break last March. Due to the unfortunate circumstances, he had to return on an emergency basis and cut his trip short via a specially arranged flight. He is a student of the Masters’s program studying abroad.
Due to Corona the exams have postponed, and all the activities in the university suspended. The new semester is getting delayed. It has dramatically affected all his planned activities and tasks. Above all, it ruined his travel plans, and he ended up returning backway earlier than scheduled through some evacuation plan.
The positive impact is that due to lockdown, everyone is staying at a social distance, but perhaps it gave a chance to spend time with your family and interact far better as everyone is working from home. Parents have a lot of time for their children now to guide them and learn their routines. Contrary, as all industries are closed, and there is no much traffic ground and air, both so the pollution levels are decreasing significantly.
As no activity is going on, it’s becoming much more difficult for the conventional workers to earn for themselves; hence, they are forced to live hand to mouth due to this epidemic, especially the labor class.
The fear spread by this Corona has affected nearly everyone. They are becoming much more tensed as they cannot go outside and are forced to stay at home, yet they still fear they can be exposed to it. Their extra cautious attitude is making them more frustrated as they cannot be sure that they have done all the care.
Usman mostly stays at home except for groceries and other work of extreme importance. He is utilizing this time to learn more and more technologies and courses, which can be very helpful throughout his career as most of them are available without any charge.
“As it is an epidemic so I guess it will take some time and combine efforts from all around. The sooner we act together, the early we get over it.”
Yes, they are working very hard in close collaboration to overcome and find a cure. Already some tests have been carried out to evaluate the results to rule out this epidemic.
The US government is trying its best to fight against this epidemic by utilizing all available resources.
CONCLUSION
Even if not physically affected by the Coronavirus, people are slowly losing patience and sanity due to the lockdown. Many sit depressed and confused about theIR future, while others turn to some sort of activity to keep them occupied. The halt on social activities and routine does seem like a much-needed vacation at times, but it equally can be nerve-wracking.
The Rocket & Satellite Company Limited has been registered in the past week as Pakistan’s first private space company by SECP (The Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan).
This Karachi based space organization is interested in offering a low-cost solution in three main areas of any space mission:
Space launch system
Satellite manufacturing
Ground segment as a service
Furthermore, the Rocket & Satellite Company also planning to give solutions for the major cause of destruction in the region above the Earth’s lower orbit of outer space which is also called the debris areas so that the life of satellite will be increased and the risk of collision between newly launched satellites and the remnants will also reduce. They are highly concerned about this mission and their major goal is to achieve these all these tasks at a low cost so that a huge amount of money will be saved for other space missions.
This Rocket & Satellite Company also presented the idea that they will try to get some more advancement by the combined efforts of space technologies and Artificial Intelligence.
The Rocket & Satellite Company Limited has been registered in the past week as Pakistan’s first private space company by SECP
New Opportunities for jobs in space science
This will not only beneficial for Pakistan’s Space Science field but it also provides several jobs for space technologists, engineers, and coders.
It will also play a huge role for the students having an interest in the area of space science. Surely, it will promote more scientific knowledge and advancement of technology among our young generation that will eventually play an important role for the future of Pakistan.
Role of students in Space Science
This space company can be beneficial for the students of space sciences and other fields too. Since Pakistan is currently not working on any space mission, it is difficult for students to pursue their career in this field. In Pakistan, there are many universities offering the bachelors to PhD degrees in this regards but due to the lack of job opportunities, students are not admiring their education. From professionals to amateurs, there are a lot of varieties of students in Pakistan, their hardworking and enthusiasm can make a lot more progress in the field of space science.
History of Space Agencies
In 1969, the United States succeeded in landing humans on the moon, our closest neighbor in space and safely transporting them back to Earth. The United States was the most technologically advanced country on Earth. What was the position of India and Pakistan at that time? The two countries had already fought two battles and were about to rush into another one in 1971. While the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was established in 1969, the same year when humans set foot on the moon, Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was established in 1961 eight years before its Indian.
In mid-September 1961, Dr. Abdus Salam and Dr. Tariq Mustafa held a meeting with NASA officials in Washington. On the occasion, NASA offered help to Pakistan in the development and launching of rockets to map the atmosphere above the Indian Ocean, on the condition that any data obtained from the research on the upper atmosphere will be shared with NASA.
Pakistan quickly caught the offer and started working on the project. On 7 June 1962, Pakistan launched an unmanned rocket, “Rehbar-I” from Sonmiani, with support from NASA. Dr. Tariq Mustafa led the team working on this project. With this operation, Pakistan became the third country in Asia, first in South Asia, and only the 10th country in the world to have conducted such a launch.
India built its first satellite Aryabhata, and launched it in 1975. Pakistan built its first satellite Badr-I and launched it in 1990 but now India is independently developing satellites, launching them on its own, and is the first nation to put its orbiter in Mars’s orbit in the first attempt. Meanwhile, Pakistan is still limited to Geographical Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and communication satellites.
Pakistan’s History with the Space Missions
Rehbar-I
Rehbar is an Urdu Language word that literary means “One who leads the way”. Rehbar was a series of sounding rocket launches into the upper atmosphere and the edge of space. Rehbar-I was the first rocket launched by Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), on 7 June 1962. Rehbar-I was a two-staged solid-fuel rocket.
Various sounding rocket models were launched by Pakistan approximately 200 times between 1962 and 1972. Twenty-four of those flights were in the Rehbar series. The Rehbar series of flights utilized no less than three and possibly four different sounding rockets. The rockets used were Centaure, Judy-Dart, Nike-Cajun, and according to one source Nike-Apache. Other sounding rockets used by Pakistan were Dragon 2B, Petrel, and Skua. The Rehbar Sounding Rockets are no longer in services of SUPARCO.
The Rehbar rocket series was an experimental rocket program which later played an important role in Pakistan’s development of a missile program. Throughout the 1960s till the early 1970s, the SUPARCO launched more than 200 rockets using the different payloads of an experimental satellite. With the launching of Rehbar-1, Pakistan became the third country in Asia, the first country in South Asia, and the tenth in the world to launch a vessel into outer space. It was followed by the successful launch of the Rehbar-II in 1962. The last launch of the Rehbar Rocket Program took place on 8 April 1972.
Dr. Shagufta Feroz graduated in 1984 and kick-started her career later in 1988 as a private medical practitioner. She was inclined towards healing with nature from a very young age, and therefore, she specialized in Family Medicine, Holistic Nutrition, Lifestyle, and Integrative Medicines. She is the founder of the Synchronized Lifestyle Modification Program and author of “Living as Nature Intended.”
After 15 years of clinical practice, Feroze recognized the role of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and reversal of diseases. That realization forced her to switch from drug-dependent medical practice to drugless integrative medicine. Now, for the past 16 years, she is managing a variety of patients through Synchronised Lifestyle Modification (SLP). She uses her knowledge to convert table foods into a remedy by applying her 8-Rules of correct eating.
After 15 years of clinical practice, Feroze recognized the role of a healthy lifestyle in the prevention and reversal of diseases. That realization forced her to switch from drug-dependent medical practice to drugless integrative medicine. Now, for the past 16 years, she is managing a variety of patients through Synchronised Lifestyle Modification (SLP). She uses her knowledge to convert table foods into a remedy by applying her 8-Rules of correct eating.
She is a regular speaker at various academic institutes, health forums, doctors forums, and training institutes. In 2015 she spoke at TEDx Lahore on the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the young. She utilizes the power of print, digital, and social media to spread awareness for healthy eating. She has also appeared in over 100 TV health shows.
Team Scientia Pakistan caught Dr. Feroze and interviewed her for its special edition, “Being a professional in the pandemic.” Below is her conversation with Aniqa Mazhar on how a healthy diet and nutrition can help control COVID-19.
Dr. Shagufta is the founder of the Synchronized Lifestyle Modification Program and author of “Living as Nature Intended.”
Aniqa: Can Covid-19 spread from food? If so, which foods should be avoided during the virus outbreak and which should be specially taken? Are dietary supplements of any use against the virus?
Dr. Feroz: It is not proven that Covid-19 can directly spread from the food until and unless the food is being used or is being transported or carried by someone who is Covid-19 positive. Still, all those foods, which are processed foods or food with naked calories, can suppress immunity and make a person more prone to Covid-19.
Dietary supplements are not very effective, but yes, Vitamin C is good, and the best supplement is that one gets Vitamin C from fruit.
Aniqa: Having a proper balanced diet can substantially help a person from not contracting the virus. To what extent is this true?
Dr. Feroz: I never use the word ‘balanced diet.’ It is actually how the person is taking the food. So I talk about ‘correct eating,’ ‘dietary discipline’ etc. If your food is not balanced but is taken correctly, it helps and supports immunity. So, indirectly, a person becomes secure against viruses, and there is less risk of contracting Covid-19.
Aniqa: It is the month of fasting, and people prefer cold beverages in Suhoor and Iftar. Does it increase the risk of getting infected? Or does fasting help us against Coronavirus as it does against certain other diseases?
Dr. Feroz: I strictly inhibit the use of these cold beverages. By taking these cold drinks, you drop your core temperature, which is crucial regarding the maintenance of immunity. There is a research done by Leeds University which says that if the internal body temperature drops from 37 to 33 degrees centigrade, there are strong chances of growth of various viruses. So it is not specifically against Coronavirus but against viruses generally.
I don’t think that fasting will help get rid of Coronavirus or it will have a protective role. Coronavirus, I have seen, affects those who are already carrying comorbidities or who carry poor immunities. So, a weak person cannot fast, and if a vulnerable person is fasting, he or she might get more risk towards Covid-19.
Aniqa: What do you suggest for the diet of the people who have contracted Coronavirus and are undergoing symptoms?
Dr. Feroz: I suggest them to take yakhni (broth or stock) and warm drinks like black tea with some sugar and lemon, green tea or warm water, soups, half-boiled desi (organic) eggs, or toast with shorba (soupy)type of salan (curry).
Aniqa: Most restaurants and food suppliers have taken strict measurements regarding hygiene and social distancing and reopened. Is it safe to order from them?
Dr. Feroz: Regarding restaurants and food supplies, I can’t comment because there are so many factors involved while we put an order for home delivery of food. So, I don’t think that it should be so frequently practiced.
Aniqa: What has increased more during lockdown, malnutrition, or obesity?
Dr. Feroz: Lockdown has had people develop the tendency of putting on weight because they are under stress, and there is no discipline. They are sedentary; there is less physical activity, so they are adding weight.
In 2015, she spoke at TEDx Lahore on the importance of a healthy lifestyle for the young.
Aniqa: Have you had more or fewer patients since the pandemic? What are some of the most common queries?
Dr. Feroz: My specialty is integrative medicine and lifestyle medicine, and food is one of the components, so I am dealing with already complex or complicated or terminal patients. But definitely, I do get patients who want me to tell them about preventive or immune-enhancing foods. Their queries are about the foods that should be taken to enhance our immunity.
Aniqa: Regarding public nutrition during the lockdown, which country is managing the best, and how?
Dr. Feroz: I believe China is managing the best preventive measures because they follow the basic principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). I have done a small diploma in this branch of science also and its approach is entirely different. They work on the correction of basic chemistry, core temperature and immunity enhancement.
So, the Chinese have the best knowledge. None of the other countries even have a sense of describing the right food to the patient or coronavirus prevention.
Aniqa: What effects have the pandemic put on the food industry and agriculture globally?
Dr. Feroz: I believe that the pandemic has some positive effect on the food industry in terms of better control of these junk foods and people are now forced to take home-cooked meals. So there is less consumption of food from outside. Regarding agriculture globally, I’m not very sure, but I think definitely, because of other restrictions, agriculture would have been affected.
Aniqa: Do you think that the awareness and prevention campaigns on media against Covid-19 are highlighting the importance of nutrition?
Dr. Feroz: Definitely! I have been using my social media and the most hit post which got viral, the marketing people say, had 60 million views. This was about the prevention and awareness of Coronavirus. So not only nutrition but we have to advise people on how to organize their daily routines as well. People need to utilize this time to do family bonding and give much time to religious and spiritual aspects of life. We need to let people know that they have to incorporate nutrition and to integrate exercise into their routines. People basically have to modify their routines.
As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic progresses, social distancing has emerged as an effective measure to restrain the spread of infections. Many people are now confining themselves to indoor spaces and communicating with their loved ones only through the use of electronic tools. This may have a detrimental effect on mental health, especially for adults over the age of 65 who may be less comfortable with virtual solutions. Dr. Ali Jawaid, a Pakistani-origin Neuroscientist, based in Brain Research Institute, Zurich, Switzerland, has come up with some evidence-based recommendations for protecting the mental health of the elderly that got featured in Science, the highest-ranked scientific journal in the world.
Social isolation in seniors has been linked to increased depression and suicidality, as well as increased pro-inflammatory and decreased anti-viral immune responses. These effects may further increase the susceptibility of this population to COVID-19. Health care systems and communities must consider the mental health burden of social distancing for the elderly and find ways to keep them engaged and motivated.
Mainstream media, such as television and radio, can play an essential role by including content focused on the elderly and encouraging seniors to express their views through live calls. Data indicate that the elderly view television as a medium to cope with depressive symptoms and might benefit from such engagement.
Volunteers can maintain regular phone contact with the homebound elderly population, providing friendship and fostering a mentoring relationship, as it has been shown that adults over 60 years of age find their life more meaningful when they have the opportunity to give advice.
Finally, existing mental health support hotlines could add outgoing calls during which mental health professionals could reach out to the elderly and screen for symptoms of anxiety and depression. These measures could improve older adults’ compliance with social distancing and help reduce the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health.
Later on, Team Scientia Pakistan reached out to Dr. Ali Javed and talked about the mental toll of COVID-19 on the elderly and youngsters. Below are some excerpts of this conversation.
Scientia: Let us know about your research on the mental health impact of COVID19?
Dr: Javed: I am leading this effort with scientists from 12 different countries, and we screened around 13,000 individuals globally for the psychological impact of COVID-19. We also elucidated the factors which increase the likelihood of being psychologically affected by COVID-19. As our study is in review right now, I cannot share the exact findings with you. But we need dynamic optimization of mental health services; otherwise, we are heading into a huge mental health crisis.
Scientia: How can other family members help to reduce the stress on people above the ’60s?
Dr. Javed: Important to ensure that older adults stay engaged- take advice from them, make them feel important, make them understand that the whole world cares for them, and that’s why young people are following physical distancing. It is also crucial that they still have a routine, substitute the activities that they can’t do like usual with new ones. If they would go for a walk in the park, now you take a stroll with them on the terrace. If they were meeting a friend for tea, help them with video calling their friend while serving them tea.
Scientia: Elderly in Pakistan mostly depends on Newspapers and News channels; those are increasing coronavirus anxiety with their fake/ baseless News and 24 hours transmission entirely on the pandemic. What is the duty of other family members to help the elderly in this situation?
Dr. Javed: First and foremost, give them positive stimulation. For example, instead of showing them the number of new cases, let them update about active cases, which also includes the number of recoveries. Second, it probably would be good to limit their ‘screen time,’ especially in the evenings, because anxiety-inducing News can affect their sleep. Also, do talk about things that you plan to do with them in the future, so they have things to look forward to.
Coronavirus pandemic is a humanitarian crisis and there are drastic restrictions designed to minimize the spread of the virus. They may vary from continent to continent, but there is one thing that has been affected in the same magnitude everywhere: a large part of commercial air traffic has come to a standstill.
Normally, a pilot’s life remains on a wheel; apart from their strict duty schedules, they go through flight simulators recurrent every six months which are rigorous training sessions to keep everything in check. In these sessions, pilots go through almost all common emergencies and polish their skills. These refreshers keep the crew up to date and ready for every situation. But ever since the lockdown has been imposed in Pakistan and elsewhere, all such training sessions have also been postponed.
And also, travel is restricted more than ever. It is speculated that major industries associated with it such as tourism and transport are going to receive major setbacks in the coming months. Scientia talks with Captain Jahanzeb, a first officer in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), about how the recent crisis is impacting air travel and its future.
Captain Jahanzeb is a first officer in Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)
Kaleem: COVID-19 has been wreaking havoc everywhere. How have you, as professional pilots, been personally affected by the spread?
Capt. Jahanzeb: I agree that the recent pandemic has created many unforeseen situations that have now become a global issue, the same is with the aviation world as well and pilots are at the core of it. Many of the airlines are closing down or shrinking worldwide due to instability and pilots are either being furloughed or losing their jobs altogether, luckily Pakistan has not been as hard hit as the US or UK, although the operations have been seriously affected but we as pilots and aviation community are trying to resiliently hold on. Practically now, the flying has reduced and few of the flights that are being operated are high risk due to bio-hazard involved and one needs to be one their toes for it.
Kaleem: Every leading airline around the globe resorting to lay-off due to disruption in the flights caused by the pandemic. How much it affected the employees of private airlines in Pakistan, especially pilots?
Capt. Jahanzeb: I may not be the best person to respond to it but, as far as I know, airlines like Serene have really taken care of their staff and are also showing flexibility by looking forward to some cargo operations as well for the time being. Whereas, another airline that I have heard of is looking into cutting the employee’s salary, which is again going to hurt not only the pilots but a lot of households that are associated with the employees.
Kaleem: As a pilot, you interact with many people around the globe. You have the know-how of people’s social interaction before the outbreak. What type of change do you expect in people’s socialization?
Capt. Jahanzeb: I believe it all depends on the outcome of the Pandemic. If there is some drug or vaccine that works then I do not expect a major change in how we socialize, but if the cure is not simple like taking a pill or intravenous medicine and complications persists then distances would increase, not only physical distances while greeting someone but psychosocial as well.
Captain Jahanzeb says that some airlines have really taken care of their staff and are also showing flexibility by looking forward to some cargo operations as well for the time being.
Kaleem: All of the major airlines across the world have announced cuts to their schedules, and there is a considerable amount of uncertainty in the global airline industry. So, what does all of this, as a pilot, mean to you?
Capt. Jahanzeb: Well, it’s not just what and how it would affect me as a pilot but as a common man it does sound very difficult to cope up with such a situation. All those who are seeing financial implications, that may be indirect such as government policies changing due to the pandemic and its hit on the world economy, it will be hard for them to persist a similar lifestyle as they were leading before the global outbreak. Besides, as a pilot, I would definitely bear in mind that the Company that I am working for may get hit badly financially and that might be effects on the quality of available resources.
Kaleem: Will Pakistan go from a pilot shortage to a pilot surplus due to coronavirus?
Capt. Jahanzeb: As I said earlier that it depends on how we come out of Coronavirus. If it is an easy solution and people don’t have to worry about it anymore, they would definitely start air travel and that would be on the rise. However, domestic air travel which directly affects most Pakistani airlines’ major finances would presumably be the same if not better than before. But again, depends on what is the world scenario after the Virus is gone or managed. So, more air travel means more opportunities for the business and more pilots wanted in the market.
Kaleem: The life of a pilot used to be very busy. After staying at home, even it might have prolonged, do you feel any psychological discomfort or enjoying a stay at home?
Capt. Jahanzeb: As individuals be it the pilot or other professional, we are taught and we self-learn to be flexible, that is what we are being at this moment and hoping for the things to normalize. Besides one should make the best of what is available.
Kaleem: The federal government said limited flight operations would resume soon, and Pakistanis stranded abroad will be brought back home. Do you think that bringing home the stranded citizen is a wise decision?
Capt. Jahanzeb: Yes, I would say that our compatriots shall be brought back home. That’s not only our social but also a moral responsibility. However, managing their entry and ensuring biological safety for them and from any infections that may have traveled along is altogether a different issue and beyond my expertise.
The Coronavirus pandemic is an extreme test of the necessity of many parts of our daily routine. From education to office work and to the business, it hit hard every sphere of life and highlighted the importance of alternatives to traditional ways of communication. With physical distancing, employers’ transition to telework is poised to remake all of those assumptions, both for the current crisis and beyond. Though this surge in teleworking raised many questions about whether the technologies that enable telework like video conferencing, desktops, etc., can scale the enormous traffic. Still, we are bound to depend on telework as it is the only solution to significant problems we all are suffering through after lockdown.
As journalists across the U.S. scramble to cover the impact of coronavirus, while they are grappling with bitter irony. The devastating sweep of COVID19 is the biggest story for this generation that hit hard the U.S., and media outlets are facing a massive drop in advertising due to the global economic recession. To know more about how much the pandemic affected Journalists across the U.S. and how they are figuring out the significant challenges, team Scientia Pakistan had an online conversation with renowned journalist Issam Ahmad.
Issam is a Health, science, and environment reporter for Agency France Press(AFP), resides in Washington D.C. He has been reporting for the Christian Science Monitor, Guardian, Business Insider, Chicago Tribune, Times of India, and many other prominent international media outlets. Below are some excerpts of his recent conversation with our EIC, Saadeqa khan.
The science and health reporters have a far greater workload these days, and our beat is center stage.~ Issam
Saadeqa: It is not easy to work in pandemic days when there is an outburst of fake news and myths about the virus. I can realize that media persons are playing harder. How lockdown and work-from-home have affected your life being a journalist? Have you felt anxious or overburden?
Issam: It’s true that science and health reporters have a far greater workload these days, and our beat is center stage, but that the same time it’s good to keep busy during the lockdown and feel like you’re helping in some small way keeps the public informed. I’m glad to be productive!
Saadeqa: At the moment, global coronavirus cases pass 1.8 million amid fears of the second wave in the U.S. Many U.S. officials, including President Trump, ignored early waning of WHO released in January about the pandemic and now suffering its consequence. Did U.S. media intentionally neglected the severity of the situation, or were they unable to realize initially?
Issam: Actually, I think the WHO was partly responsible for downplaying the outbreak — they first said asymptomatic carriers weren’t an issue, they said there was no need for travel bans, and they didn’t criticize China at all for its early cover-up. The U.S. media was preoccupied with domestic politics well until late February, as I think was media around the world.
Saadeqa: There are a whole bunch of conspiracy theories circling about coronavirus pandemic like death toll in the U.S. has been overstating, often claims right-wing media. We know that Johns Hopkins coronavirus recourse center is releasing accurate data, but how can media and U.S. officials adequately deal with such conspiracies?
Issam: This is a significant problem, as you noted, it appears to come more from the political right. At least the major conservative outlets belatedly changed their tunes, even if more fringe voices haven’t. But on the whole, I’m encouraged by the public’s response to lockdown guidance and orders. Then again, my view might be skewed by living in Washington DC, not a rural Republican state.
Saadeqa: The coronavirus anxiety is getting viral worldwide, and we all are feeling that at a larger scale. What is the role of print and electronic media to descend this overgrowing sense of fear in public?
Issam: Reporting the facts as accurately as possible, and mediating the plethora of scientific studies and data that are emerging — sifting through them, placing them in their context, explaining it well so that it can be understood and acting on. Also, its key does not overhype preliminary work, such as studies that promote or ‘debunk’ one drug or the other based on small studies.
Saadeqa: Public health experts in the U.S. have widely been criticizing Trump administration for the severe lack of planning for such pandemics for the U.S. becoming the global hotspot of coronavirus. What flaws do you locally witness in management while living in Washington, DC?
Issam: The White House downplayed the crisis for too long, overriding the advice of top officials from the CDC. Testing was too slow to get off the mark because of regulatory delays and technical issues. Then the U.S. federal system of governance meant that the states were too late in coordinating their mitigation actions. The President belatedly shifted his tone, but we still see him doing irresponsible things like promoting hydroxyl-chloroquine as a miracle cure. It might work, but we need to listen to the scientists who tell us we need more data in the form of Randomized Control Trials to be sure.
Saadeqa: How lockdown and self-isolation affected reporters/journalists’ contribution to their media outlets and how News editors are managing this situation in the U.S.?
Issam: There were teething issues early on due to coordinating while teleworking, but honestly, I think if anything this period has shown us that teleworking is feasible, especially for text reporters. For our photographer and video colleagues, it’s another story. A might be a good thing to emerge from the crisis might be greater faith in telework, which is overall better for the environment.
Saadeqa: International media outlets have specific science desks, but here in Pakistan, science still never consider as a genre in journalism. Do you think that institutions like CEJ IBA, LUMS, or Karachi University should kick start science reporting courses specifically for WEB/NEWS editors on an immediate notice?
Issam: Yeah, I think that’s not a bad idea. But I think the broader reason for a lack of science reporting in Pakistan is that there isn’t much scientific research happening in Pakistan. It’s practically a non-entity as far as original research is concerned. Even when compared to, for example, neighboring Iran. The problem won’t change until the Pakistani government gets serious about STEM higher education — not just for undergraduate courses but real research. That takes time and money and would need to find ways to stop/reverse the brain drain.
The Covid-19 crisis has put life on hold. It is speculated that the disease will keep spreading and we will have a hard time getting rid of it unless we get to develop a vaccine. It is a very important task and scientists all around the world are working on its development. It is taking extensive research, time, and ideas and resources. But giving up hope will not be the solution; it is important to stay committed and wish for the best.
During such times, it comes as a moment of great pride that a vaccine by a Pakistani scientist and his team in the UK has been listed and selected by the World Health Organization.
Dr. Muhammad Munir recently announced on social media, that the vaccine being developed at Lancaster University is now on the WHO landscape.
A virologist and a veterinarian, Dr. Muhammad Munir, has research experience on virus pathobiology, viral antagonism of immune responses and factors of hosts that can hinder and limit the replication of viruses. He is a lecturer in Biomedicine at Lancaster University. He has been discussing his opinions and views on the different kinds of measures and their efficacies on various media outlets since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease. He recently announced on social media, that the vaccine being developed at Lancaster University is now on the WHO landscape of Covid-19 candidate vaccine.
WHO is closely working with research groups and listing various labs across the world that are working on this task. This is one of the biggest projects in modern history and is required for eliminating the deadly virus that has been creating havoc all around the globe, once and for all. More than 100 vaccines are in pre-clinical trial and around eight are in clinical trials.
But this is going to take quite some time to develop. It is a fairly challenging task and a long way lays ahead. According to Dr. Munir “The most realistic timeline is that we won’t have a Covid-19 vaccine in 2020”.
We can only hope and support our scientists and health workers in this endeavor. The capability of humans is enormous and by working together, we can bring our lives back on track.
Since January 2020, when Coronavirus started spreading in Wuhan, China, and later massively trapped the U.S. and European countries, researchers around the globe, have been racing for an effective cure. By the First week of May 2020, more than 90 vaccines are being developed against COVID-19 by the researchers in pharmaceutical companies and universities across the world. Researchers are trialing different technologies, some of which haven’t been used in a licensed vaccine before. At least six groups have already begun injecting formulations into volunteers in safety trials; others have started testing in animals.
Scientia Pakistan Magazine has interviewed Dr. Michael Gale, Jr., Ph.D. Director of the Centre for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease (C.I.I.I.D.), in the U.S. The C.I.I.I.D. is a research center for immune responses, and viruses and infectious diseases, including coronaviruses. Our senior team member Fawwad Raza and Dr. Micheal discussed how the pandemic has catalyzed the development of novel coronavirus vaccines across the biotech industry, both by pharmaceutical companies and research organizations.
Below are some excerpts of this conversation.
Fawwad: What are the biggest threats of Covid-19 right now?
Dr. Micheal: One of the biggest questions to understand is how the virus is physically recognized by the body and then how it functions to drive the innate and the adaptive immune response in infection.
We found in the patients that they have a very aggressive immune response that is overwhelming and, in the worst cases, debilitating in that the virus turns on immune processes that are actually contributing to disease.
So, we need to know what those processes are, how they are triggered, and how we can intervene with this type of outcome. So I think those are the biggest questions that we are facing right now.
Fawwad: How is Coronavirus different than the other coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS? How about the flu?
Dr. Micheal: Coronaviruses are physically different from the flu due to the following specific reasons.
The Coronavirus family consists of viruses that have one long genomic piece of RNA and influenza viruses have multiple parts of nucleic acid, in their genome. That is just one of the significant differences.
Physiologically, the coronaviruses, as a family, circulate around the globe and typically cause what we consider to be the common cold. In any given year, people get infected with what we will call contemporary coronaviruses that cause a cold, runny nose, maybe a slight fever, and some aches and pains for a few days. But people recover from that.
So, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus is SARS that spread out in 200-2003, now this new SARS-Cov-2 is different due to some reasons as it causes very severe and fatal respiratory disease. The current Coronavirus differs from all the other coronaviruses genetically, which gives it its own name.
It is different from SARS-1 because there are multiple genetic distinctions across the genome, and importantly, the spike protein, that gives the Coronavirus its name because it sticks out around the edge of the virus, and makes it look like the corona of the sun if you look at it under an electron microscope.
The spike protein is what attaches to cells and the spike protein from Covid-19- versus previous SARS viruses are unique. It is subtly different, in infection properties. It could be physiologically different, so this current virus has a spread much more extensive and disseminates more rapidly. So the infection behavior is quite a bit different from the previous SARS virus.
And then, of course, the syndrome: The respiratory disease syndrome that it is linked to that we now call Covid-19, that syndrome is different because it is slower in progress. Some patients die. Most people recover just fine.
So the previous SARS was a very aggressive acute infection that was not as widely spread and physiologically created an acute and often devastating disease. Therefore, the two viruses are similar, but they have very clinically different behaviors.
Fawwad: What are some misconceptions about this virus and its spread? And how science addresses them?
Dr. Micheal: Well, the biggest misconception, I would say, is that people are safe and the virus can’t be transmitted that easily. But what we are learning is that it is transmitted very effectively. Science has epidemiology. I think we have, in our own experiences, already proven that the virus is very effectively spread among groups of people through social contact.
So, we had some of the behaviors here in the United States where people were not adhering to social distancing and actually facilitated the spread of the virus when these people should have been staying home and containing the virus on their own.
But we must observe social distancing and use it to stop the spread of the virus because it is very efficiently spread.
Science has shown that the virus can persist on surfaces for specific amounts of time. Science has also demonstrated how we can inactivate the virus through sanitizing procedures. Hand washing is mandatory, Social contact control is very crucial.
If we can stick to those protocols for social distancing, and decontamination adherence personally, and on surfaces, it will slow and even contain the spread of the infection in the population.
Fawwad: You study innate immunity. What do you think is the role of innate immunity for this infection? And why is it important to understand the Coronavirus better?
Dr. Micheal: Yes, a good question indeed. Well, innate immunity is a process that protects us daily, we go throughout our lives. Innate immunity can be considered an immune response on the molecular level that can take place inside of any cell of your body.
If you happen to be out in the public one day and you get exposed to influenza virus, or this Coronavirus, or measles, or mumps, or some new virus that is circulating in the environment, the first thing that is going to happen inside the cells that get infected with that virus is that it is going to induce what we call an innate immune response. When this response works appropriately, it will restrict the virus’s replication at that exact site of infection. The virus won’t get a chance to spread throughout the body and to infect the rest of your tissues and your other organs. Innate immunity is vital for daily protection against viral pathogens in addition to protection against bacterial and parasite pathogens.
Without innate immunity, we become very susceptible to virus infection and an innate response plays a crucial role in controlling virus infection at the site of infection and prevents it from being spread throughout the body.
But when the innate immune response gets turned on too much, it can become dangerous and often turned on when it should not be turned on. This also forms the basis of several different auto-immune diseases that we are familiar with, like lupus, probably multiple sclerosis, and other diseases that can be debilitating.
So we know that innate immunity is crucial to control of infections. But innate immunity itself also has to be controlled.
So, what could be happening, we don’t know this yet, because we need to do more research. But the clinical data suggests that what is happening in [the] SARS COV-2 infection, that underlies Covid 19 disease is an innate immune response. In parallel, the inflammatory response triggered by the infection seems to propagate out of control, and it could be contributing to disease and the lethality of the infection.
So, this could be a situation where we may need to find ways to shut down the innate immune response, or a closure to the inflammatory response, to mitigate Covid-19 disease.
Fawwad: Why are certain people at higher risk of developing a worst [case] disease outcome, than others?
Dr. Micheal: What we are learning is that, with SARS COV-2, affected the elderly most, people over 65 years old, is very susceptible to the infection and is an adverse outcome with the Covid-19. Typically, the aged individuals versus young individuals, there are distinct differences in the capacity of immune response to respond to and control infectious disease pathogens.
We understand this process as part of an aging program in the immune system called immune senescence. It is probably more complicated than that. But what we know is that in aged individuals, the immune response is tuned down, or it switches over more to immune regulation response than a response capable of fast response to an infectious disease. Those people end up being much more susceptible to an adverse outcome than youngsters who have a robust immune response capable of swift action against this virus.
Fawwad: How much can this virus travel in [the] air? And for how much time can it be active to infect human beings?
Dr. Micheal: Yes, the aerosols of the virus are a significant concern. It can survive inside the fomites, and saliva droplets elicited from people when they talk. The virus is probably viable, we think, for several hours in fomites. Fomites get deposited on the surfaces of tables, on your hands, on doorknobs, and anything that you touch. And the virus can survive in that environment, for 30 minutes, to 3 hours, maybe even longer.
That is why it is crucial to decontaminate surfaces and to control the aerosol spread of the virus. You see many people walking around with a mask on their face, to control the spread. We think that it is essential that people who are actually known to be infected, if they are around other people, to wear a mask. If you are not infected, the important thing is to make sure the surfaces you touch are clean, or you are maintaining social distancing to reduce exposure to aerosols coming from someone infected.
Fawwad: As some research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, warns that the current guidelines are based on outdated models from the 1930s. How much distance is safe from one person to another? 3, 6 feet, or 20 feet?
Dr. Micheal: Yes, this is right, it can be risky. So the best data suggests that six feet of distance, or about two meters, is better than three feet. This is the distance by which fomites: again the aerosol droplets that would contain a virus, travel when people talk.
Some people talk louder than others, so when they speak louder, they expel more air. And that is why maintaining a six-foot distance is better than three feet. Now, on the other hand, when people sneeze, or if somebody is talking underneath an airshaft ventilator that pumps air into the room, then that air can spread several feet, much more than six feet. In that case, social distancing beyond six feet, as you mentioned, 20 to 27 feet, is worth considering.
As I sit here today, there is an air vent above me, blowing air into my room. When I talk, somebody who is sitting across the table would be more apt to be exposed to aerosols that I am exuding. If I were infected, this act could be hazardous, and that air vent above me would blow the air past me many feet, greater than six feet.
That is why it is mandatory to maintain a distance, depending on the configuration of your room, six feet or higher.
The best data suggests that six feet of distance, or about two meters, is better than three feet
Fawwad: Some researchers claim that COVID-19 has mutated. And it can mutate from one person to another. Is that true?
Dr. Micheal: Well, there could be some truth to that, so, what happens with viruses that have RNA genomes, when they replicate they don’t proofread their genome, which is very different from viruses with DNA genomes.
The genome of humans is a DNA genome; we make RNA from that DNA genome as we turn our genes on. But these RNA viruses have an RNA genome. When the cells in our body replicate, our DNA genome undergoes proofreading. And if there are mistakes in it, we have repair mechanisms that correct those mistakes, typically.
RNA viruses don’t proofread, they don’t have much proofreading capacity that DNA viruses have. So they make a lot of mistakes when they replicate.
The coronaviruses have other ways to select for maintaining genome integrity. But overall, they don’t proofread when they replicate. So that can lead to the accumulation of mutations that eventually could drive the outgrowth of a new virus strain.
Now there is not a lot of evidence right now; that what is happening in real-time with Coronavirus. Although from patient to patient, there could be new mutations that accumulate to make the virus more fit for that particular patient.
We don’t fully understand that yet because we haven’t done enough experiments to sequence the genome from different patients across this outbreak. But we know from other RNA virus pandemics including HIV, Hepatitis C. virus, for example, that there is a lot of genome mutation that takes place as the virus replicates and adapts to a new person that it infects.
So, we should expect to see some genetic variation in Coronavirus across the globe as it propagates across populations.
Fawwad: Can blood plasma treatment helps to boost the infected patient’s immune system, to fight against Covid-19?
Dr. Micheal: Yes, such treatment is called Passive Antibody therapy, in which we collect blood plasma that contains antibodies from somebody who survived infection and controlled infection eventually with their own antibodies. We transfer that plasma into another infected individual to treat their disease using the previous person’s antibodies.
Passive antibody therapy can be a very effective treatment. It is experimental still. We don’t know how well it works for this SARS-Cov-2. There are clinical studies that are being developed that directly address whether or not passive antibody therapy will be a viable option for treating Covid-19 disease. So, I see this as a potential therapeutic that holds a lot of hope for treating people. But it has yet to be tested.
Fawwad: What are some vaccines and therapies that are being investigated at the University of Washington or other laboratories in the U.S.?
Dr. Micheal: In the University of Washington, several groups focused on developing therapeutic antibodies that are cloning antibodies from patients who have a successful antibody response. They are attempting to produce them in mass quantity for the treatment of infected patients; those are called human monoclonal antibodies.
Besides, the University of Washington is testing two new vaccines. One of them is already in the phase of clinical trials in the local vaccine trial evaluation units. Another one is undergoing testing in a lab. We will soon be requesting approval from the F.D.A. to go into phase one trials. And these are vaccines that can generate rapid antibodies that have the therapeutic benefit of neutralizing the virus upon first exposure. So we are super excited about these.
Across the country, there are also several different vaccines in the pipeline to be tested in humans.
Fawwad: How much time will it take for a vaccine to be approved for mass production?
Dr. Micheal: Unfortunately, it is going to take at least a year or so, and we are probably looking more like at 18 months before it finishes all the trials and gets human approval. Then it has to be mass-produced and shipped around the world. So, it could be 18 months or two years before starting to see a benefit from the vaccine. Let’s hope it comes earlier.
Fawwad: What does the Centre for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, do?
Dr. Micheal: The Centre for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, at the University of Washington, is working very closely with a variety of researchers and also our colleagues throughout the world and in the pharmaceutical industries.
One crucial practice we are doing right now is testing drugs that already have clinical approval for other indications. We are testing them for their ability to inhibit virus replication. The center has got active research going on where we are growing the virus in the lab. And we are taking these pre-approved drugs and treating cells with them to identify those pre-approved drugs that can stop the virus.
Once we identify these drugs, the information will be given back to our pharmaceutical partners, and they will rapidly take that information to the U.S. F.D.A. to request fast track approval for treating SARS-Cov-2 infection.
This process will also take time. But it is much faster than getting a vaccine approved. We hope that the work that is going on at our center will facilitate the delivery of anti-viral therapeutics to the population.
Fawwad: What are some of the opportunities provided by the C.I.I.I.D., and how could Pakistani researchers and physicians get benefit from them?
Dr. Micheal: C.I.I.I.D. has several training opportunities. We have over sixty member labs that bring international students, physicians, and post-doctoral scientists onboard for 3 to 6 months, one or two years to work in the labs and conduct clinical research, basic science research, and interactive, collaborative science. We facilitate them with our research agenda for international partners and of the Centre for Innate Immunity and Immune Disease, itself.
In the past, we have had students and post-doctoral scientists, from Taiwan, who studied Entero-virus 71, Entero-virus 68 infection those commonly spread across Asia.
We have had scientists from Brazil, who studied emerging infectious diseases. More recently, we had a scientist from France and joined us for a whole year on a Fulbright fellowship to study the Zika virus’s innate immunity.
This leads to a vibrant interaction which is loaded with training opportunities in infection and immunity, emerging infectious disease, and in translational medicine to identify therapeutics and bring them into the clinic. These opportunities are available through international partnerships in our center.
We are currently working with the Zika virus, Entero-virus 71, SARS-Cov-2, and other contemporary coronaviruses, along with HIV, SIV, Hepatitis B., Hepatitis C., Influenza A virus. We have previously completed some projects on Hantavirus. And we have an ongoing study developing the HIV vaccine that ideally will be in clinical trials soon, with colleagues at Oregon House Sciences University. So these are fascinating studies that are ongoing.
The interview is compiled by Aniqa Mazhar, a team member of Scientia Pakistan magazine.
