AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 66 of 167 2 My Understanding of COVID-19 Pandemic Dr (Mrs) Rukmini Gopal Genre: Medicine he world has been engulfed a large part of this year by a tiny virus. This virus has caused deaths, divorces and economic downturns. The virus is brand new, highly contagious (Contagion). This virus goes by the name of COVID-19, as we all know it too well. This novel coronavirus first emerged in the Seafood wholesale market (Zoonotic in origin) in Wuhan Province, China in December 2019. The virus was able to survive in the environment for several hours/ days. Initially the virus spread by people who travelled from China to the rest of the world. Later on, local transmission happened so quickly in each country so fast that people were caught unaware. Only when death toll started mounting seriousness of the disease was understood and the world turned back and realized how serious this was. Serious doubt has been raised whether this virus was man made in the Wuhan Lab of China or truly zoonotic in origin? These are serious questions that have serious political implications at the macro-level of politics and economy. However, let's first take a deep dive into the micro-level and understand what’s so special about this so-called covid virus. This may provide us a deeper insight of why the measures we often are told to take make sense from a scientific and medical point of view. STRUCTURE OF SAR2 COVID-19 VIRUS For a moment, let's imagine we are back in high school and the teacher is giving a lesson on genomes. The genome is a single stranded RNA with protein cell membrane and LIPID envelope and spike proteins. The SPIKES give it an appearance of a crown. Hence it's called corona virus - corona stands for crown. What is so scary about this virus? Spikes help to attach the virus to host cell membrane dissolves it so that RNA code of virus enters cell replicates so fast that the membrane protein incites immune response causing marked inflammatory response in the host organ (Lungs) referred to as CYTOKINE STORM. T