Opinion Coronavirus pandemic: Rational thinking, global cooperation and concern for underprivileged is need of the hour

SARS-CoV-2 virus is not an enemy in scientific terms. Still, as an analogy one may call it as an enemy threatening our lives. Even then, it is not an enemy against any one particular nation. It could have evolved in any corner of the world. Scientists the world over have examined the sequence of the virus isolated from difference parts of the world, including the original one in Wuhan, China and are certain that the virus is a natural product and not a man-made virus. There is no evidence for the rumours of bioterrorism.

A SARS-Cov-2 particle has chemical affinity for a specific protein (ACE2) in our lung cells. This phenomenon, conceptually, is not any different from the positive and negative ends of two magnets attracting each other. While we humans tend to find differences between people of different colour, caste, religion, gender etc. viruses do not discriminate. The virus doesn’t distinguish between Europeans vs Asians vs Americans or Chinese vs Indians vs any country irrespective of whether it is socially, politically and culturally similar to us or different from us. The entire human population should fight this together. Unless the virus is contained in the entire world, it is going to spread again and there is no respite. It is time to work together as one world and not as independent nations, states or communities.

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This is not the time for jingoistic nationalism or regionalism. Neither Americans or Indians or Europeans or Chinese can fight on their own, irrespective of how patriotic those people are to their countries. It is the time for identifying ourselves as humans, nothing but just humans. This also helps the entire population, with diverse social and cultural practises to respond in the same way to avoid being infected. Considering the impact this pandemic has brought to the world economy, all nations need to cooperate to provide relief from the virus and from poverty to people who can’t fight this virus on their own.

Such diseases have occurred earlier too in human history. However, science has progressed so much in the past few decades that within days of appearance of COVID-19 symptoms, scientists have discovered the virus, how it infects humans and causes the disease and how it spreads. These advances have helped (i) to design strategies to test, isolate and quarantine and (ii) planning days, if not weeks, in advance on how to increase our preparedness.

Now within three months, there are already hopes that the availability of drugs and vaccines are not too far away. As any solution should not become a problem itself, scientists would like to ensure that any preventive and therapeutic measures are tested repeatedly under different conditions so that they are safe for population-level use. This will take some time but, for sure, we will develop drugs and vaccines. People all over the world have to wait with patience. However, there is no need to panic. Pressing the panic button makes people unscientific, irrational and susceptible to superstitions.

We cannot ward off the virus using non-scientific methods like banging metals or lighting lamps or resorting to sloganeering. While waiting for drugs and vaccines, we should focus to reduce the spread of the virus by maintaining “physical distance” and how to increase our testing capabilities substantially and how to improve our testing policy. Not testing and monitoring asymptomatic overseas travellers have already caused much damage as we witnessed a sudden spike in the past three days.

What we need today is not just propaganda but scientific information regarding the disease and the pandemic, a broad course of action to bring the pandemic under control. Let us do our utmost to improve the healthcare infrastructure, revive the economy and reduce collateral damage, and provide interim help and support to the countless poor, displaced and jobless people of India. If we want to show how our patriotic fervour can help fight the virus, divert that energy to take care of stranded migrant workers and poorer sections of our society so that they survive the impact of the disease and the associated economic fallout with dignity.

Vineeta Bal is a Professor of Biology, teaches immunology at IISER Pune. LS Shashidhara is a Professor of Biology, teaches genetics and evolution at Ashoka University. Opinion expressed are personal.