Coronavirus Pandemic: Current situation

The coronavirus COVID 19 is affecting 210 countries and territories around the world and 2 international conveyances. With a total of 1, 152, 601 globally active cases of coronavirus, 79% (356, 925 cases) cases have recovered from the diseases while death has been reported in 21% of cases (95, 751 patients). [at the time of writing] 

USA has been reeling with the effect of coronavirus with more than 4 lakh active cases and more than 16000 deaths. USA, Spain, Italy, Germany and France are among the top 5 nations with the greatest number of active cases. China, where it all started in the Wuhan city of Hubei province is at number six with a total of 81,907 cases and  3, 336 deaths. 

Currently, India has more than 5000 cases and 199 deaths. Thirty-one states and Union territories are affected by the coronavirus with Maharashtra topping the case tally with more than 1000 cases. Tamil Nadu has reported more than 800 cases while Delhi’s total tally of coronavirus cases has crossed 700. 

As per World Health Organization, global mortality rate is about 3.4%, by comparison, seasonal flu generally kills far fewer than 1% of those infected. A preliminary study published in The lancet on January 24 had provided an early estimation of 3% for the overall case fatality rate. Another study published in JAMA on February 7 had found that 26% of patients required admission to the intensive care unit and 4.3% died. 

The current official estimated range for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 is 2 to 14 days, however, a case with an incubation period of 27 days has been reported by Hubei province local government on February 22. An outlier of 24 days incubation period was also observed in a February 9 study, WHO had explained this by saying that this could actually reflect a second exposure rather than a long incubation period. 

World Health Organization has announced a large global trial, SOLIDARITY, to find out treatment for infections with the new coronavirus associated respiratory disease. A first of its kind, it is a coordinated attempt including dozens of nations across the globe to collect robust scientific data rapidly during a pandemic. This study has been designed to include thousands of patients designed with a simple protocol to ensure that even hospitals overwhelmed by the burden of COVID 19 patients can participate in the study. The SOLIDARITY trial is focusing on the four most promising therapies: an antiviral compound remdesivir; the malaria medications chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine; a combination of two HIV drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir; and that same combination plus interferon beta.