{"id":3579,"date":"2020-07-30T11:36:57","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T11:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-role-of-science-and-scientists-in-mitigating-the-covid-19-pandemic-part-1\/"},"modified":"2025-01-15T06:29:46","modified_gmt":"2025-01-15T06:29:46","slug":"the-role-of-science-and-scientists-in-mitigating-the-covid-19-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-role-of-science-and-scientists-in-mitigating-the-covid-19-pandemic","title":{"rendered":"The role of science and scientists in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic (Part 1)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Note:\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>This content was originally published on\u00a0IndiaBioscience<\/a>\u00a0and has been republished here with permission.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a\u00a0question of\u00a0\u200b\u201cWhether<\/b>\u201d, it is rather a\u00a0matter of\u00a0\u200b\u201cWhen<\/b>\u201d we will face such a\u00a0pandemic\u201d\u00a0was the warning issued by Larry Brilliant<\/a>, an epidemiologist who helped in the eradication of smallpox. In fact, Brilliant was one of the chief advisors of the\u00a02011\u00a0Hollywood Blockbuster\u00a0\u200b\u201cContagion\u201d, which surprisingly foretells much of what we are seeing around us\u00a0today.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On\u00a031\u00a0December,\u00a02019<\/a>,<\/i>\u00a0reports of a\u00a0cluster of patients from Wuhan, China with a\u00a0pneumonic fever of unknown origin reached the district level office of the World Health Organization (WHO). Within\u00a010\u00a0days,\u00a0WHO\u00a0declared the infectious agent to be an\u00a0RNA\u00a0virus of the family Coronaviridae (named after the crown-like outer structure of the virus;\u00a0\u200b\u201ccorona\u201d means\u00a0\u200b\u201ccrown\u201d in Latin) and a\u00a0close relative of the viruses which caused the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in\u00a02002-04\u00a0and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in\u00a02012.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

But this one was new. The world had never seen this particular virus before and neither had this virus seen humans. It appears that the virus transferred to humans from an animal host (in this case, bats) by acquiring some new mutations. Officially named SARS-CoV\u20112, and informally called the novel coronavirus, this virus causes a\u00a0completely new respiratory disease \u2013\u00a0COVID-19.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And therein lies the problem. We now have an\u00a0\u200b\u201cenemy\u201d that we cannot see, and that we do not know much about. How do we fight such an enemy? The only way is to study and learn more about it\u2009\u2014\u2009what it wants, what it does in order to survive, and where its weaknesses lie. And this is where science plays a\u00a0significant role.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0pandemic has brought to our attention how building up scientific temperament and propagation of scientific culture are critically important to tackling a\u00a0pandemic of this scale. The knowledge so acquired can help us understand the very basics of the disease process, helping us make progress in treating and preventing it.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding the\u00a0\u200b\u201cenemy\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Broadly, viruses can be classified into two main types depending on the nature of their genetic material \u2013\u00a0DNA\u00a0viruses and\u00a0RNA\u00a0viruses. This genetic material enables the virus to hijack the host\u2019s cellular machinery and synthesize proteins critical for its survival. SARS-CoV\u20112, like other coronaviruses, contains\u00a0RNA\u00a0as its genome.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Each single viral particle (often called\u00a0\u200b\u201cvirion\u201d) contains an envelope, consisting primarily of molecules called lipoproteins as well as three characteristic proteins\u2009\u2014\u2009the spike (S) protein which gives the virion the characteristic appearance of a\u00a0crown, the envelope (E) protein and the membrane (M) protein. This envelope can be broken down and destroyed by soap, which is why doctors are asking you to wash your hands often. Apart from this, there is also the nucleocapsid (N) protein which surrounds the\u00a0RNA\u00a0genome.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the few months since we first encountered this infectious pathogen, researchers around the world have embarked upon an almost undeclared joint venture. They have proceeded at breakneck speed to decipher and target various aspects of this virus in an attempt to find ways of limiting the infection, stopping its spread, and eventually devising a\u00a0potential cure for\u00a0COVID-19. These aspects include but are not limited to the virus\u2019s structure, its mechanism of infection, its molecular biology, the origins of its nucleic acid sequence, and the epidemiology of disease spread.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s amazing how the human race can do unbelievable things at an unbelievable pace when faced with a\u00a0global crisis. This two-part article will focus on how basic research endeavours have made significant discoveries that have led us towards a\u00a0better understanding of how the virus spreads from one person to another, how it attaches to cells, how it replicates, how it is different from the\u00a0SARS\u00a0or\u00a0MERS\u00a0viruses, and how these findings could translate into developing novel therapeutics or preventive strategies against this disease.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Limiting the spread of the\u00a0virus<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The very first step was to identify the process through which the virus spreads \u2013 is it airborne, blood-borne, or does it spread through some other means? Knowing this answer was crucial to developing a\u00a0strategy to limit its spread. Clinical data and epidemiological studies quickly established that SARS-CoV\u20112\u00a0spreads\u00a0from person-to-person<\/a>\u00a0either\u00a0through direct contact<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0through water droplets from the patient\u2019s cough or nasal discharge<\/a>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

These and similar findings led most countries to resort to\u00a0\u200b\u201cPhysical Distancing\u201d\u00a0as the primary strategy for limiting<\/a>\u00a0the outbreak. Similarly, scientific understanding of the fact that the viral envelope consists of a\u00a0lipid layer, one which can be readily disrupted by detergents or alcohol, has also provided us with a\u00a0scientific rationale for using soap or alcohol-based sanitizers as a\u00a0preventive strategy.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Adequate and accurate diagnosis of\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0in a\u00a0patient population is a\u00a0key to understanding the level of infectivity in a\u00a0population, and hence required for minimizing the spread of this disease. Rapid identification of\u00a0COVID-19\u00a0patients is a\u00a0frontline need towards effective management and research has, therefore, been accelerated towards understanding the structure, molecular biology, and immunology of SARS-CoV\u20112.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In this regard, several platforms for highly specific as well as sensitive, rapid diagnostic tests have been reported globally. A\u00a0polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based technique has been the primary platform for detection of\u00a0COVID-19, globally as well as in India.\u00a0RT-PCR\u00a0is fast, specific, sensitive<\/a>\u00a0as well as cost-effective in diagnosis, where time is of the essence.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Next-Generation Sequencing can also play a\u00a0very significant role in high-throughput and highly specific detection of SARS-CoV\u20112, although it involves higher costs. Very recently,\u00a0a\u00a0targeted gene-editing technique based detection of the virus<\/a>\u00a0has\u00a0also been reported<\/a>, which is highly sensitive and faster than\u00a0RT-PCR.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Rapid diagnostic tests detecting the presence of antibodies to specific SARS-CoV\u20112\u00a0proteins have already been approved by the\u00a0FDA\u00a0(a list of which\u00a0can be found here<\/a>). However, these antibody-based detection methods can only confirm whether a\u00a0person has ever encountered the virus, and does not necessarily reflect the present infection status of the individual.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the past few months, as we have dealt with this pandemic, we have educated ourselves, discovered innovative solutions to limit the spread of this virus, and presented affordable diagnostic strategies. In addition to this, we have begun learning how to co-exist with this virus in the long term. These necessity-driven innovations point towards the fact that nurturing the scientific community through gradual and sustained development and the propagation of a\u00a0scientific environment is critically important towards becoming a\u00a0\u200b\u201cPandemic-ready\u201d nation in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In the next part, we will discuss more scientific discoveries that have provided us clues on how to go about developing therapeutics against this disease, as well as some mysteries and insights that this episode in our history has brought into sharp\u00a0focus<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Related reading:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

INFOGRAPHIC:\u00a0What to do when you have a pre-existing mental health issue during a pandemic?<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Note:\u00a0This content was originally published on\u00a0IndiaBioscience\u00a0and has been republished here with permission.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not a\u00a0question of\u00a0\u200b\u201cWhether\u201d, it is rather a\u00a0matter of\u00a0\u200b\u201cWhen\u201d we will face such a\u00a0pandemic\u201d\u00a0was the warning issued by Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist who helped in the eradication of smallpox. In fact, Brilliant was one of the chief advisors of the\u00a02011\u00a0Hollywood Blockbuster\u00a0\u200b\u201cContagion\u201d, which surprisingly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2189,"featured_media":33313,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2445],"tags":[2711],"new_categories":[],"new_tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-3579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-covid-19","tag-covid-19"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe role of science and scientists in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic | Editage Insights<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The role of science and scientists in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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