With top ranking five countries in COVID-19 cases, comprising one each from five continents today proves- Coronavirus doesn't discriminate caste, creed, race, religion, socioeconomic and geographical boundaries, The totally unpredictable virus has baffled the entire globe and put it on its tenterhook.Initially, Covid-19 was thought to be for China and its neighbouring countries. But by March 2020, the pandemic’s major outbreak started in European countries, USA and Canada. It was then deliberated that the virus may have predilection for colder countries in the northern hemisphere and may spare warmer countries in the southern hemisphere. BCG vaccination, different genetic preferences, presence of other infections were thought to be favouring Africa and South America.That theory or vision was short-lived. Whereas the COVID-19 cases peaked in entire Europe and then started settling down. Whereas USA continued to remain number one, with a wide unbridgeable gap, Brazil and India climbed up. Yesterday South Africa joined the super-five league and each continent got one of their countries in the top five.
Ref: Worldometers.info as on 19 July 2020:
Let us look at top five countries in each region and how regions are affected. Latin America has gone from bad to worst in last one month. USA continues to outnumber others, in rate of Covid-19 infections, South America seems to lead the world.
In South America- Brazil with 20,75,246 cases has over 60% of the regions cases, followed by Chile, Peru, Columbia and Aregentina. They have COVID-19 positivity rate of between 20 to 45% in samples tested, projecting a ghastly scenario. However on the other hand only countries in Latin America seems to be reaching ‘herd immunity’ (50-60% of population is exposed to the virus) in some time, giving us yet another lesson of the pandemic: “Today's worst could be tomorrow's best!
In North America, the USA with 38,33,271 is untouchable in rank, has region’s 90% cases, followed by Mexico, Canada, Panama and Dominion Republic.
In Asia, India with 10,77,864 cases leads and has 30% of region’s cases to its share and has more cases than total of next four - Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
In Europe Russia with 765,437 leads and followed by Spain, UK, Italy and Germany.
In Africa, South Africa with 350,879 cases, has more than 50% of entire Africa’s registered cases, followed by Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana and Algeria. Though rest of Africa still largely looked untouched so far, but this may be only due to low testing facilities with poor infrastructure.
Among lots of unknown in COVID-19 pandemic, there are also some good and fairly established things like:
1) Only 2-4% of diagnosed Covid-19 infection succumb and over the period this percentage will come down. Hence 97-98% infected people fully recover.
2) Nearly 80% infected people are asymptomatic or mild-symptomatic and nearly 10% people need intensive care with a small minority needing ventilator support
3) Recovery rate is increasing and in some countries it has reached 80%
4) Time-tested medicines like steroids, repurposed drugs like Monoclonal Antibodies (Tocilizumab and Itolizumab) and antivirals (Remdesivir) have been providing some survival benefits. Their availability; which was challenging is getting better.
5) Most fatalities are occurring in patients with co-morbidities or existing health issues and proper management of those conditions is key in managing COVID-19.
What is OMAG:
Organised Medicine Academic Guild is an umbrella organization of professional associations working on cross-cutting issues related to human health comprises of academic specialties with more than 150,000 specialty and super-specialty doctors, has been involved in responding to the pandemic from the very beginning through assistance in policy, advocacy as well as direct care as part of the entire medical fraternity in the country. Many of its constituent medical professional organisations encompassing Physicians in Chest Medicine, Internal Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Emergency Medicine, HIV/AIDS, Community Medicine, Family Physicians have been involved in direct care of COVID-19 patients. OMAG is interested in getting rid of the existing concept of working in silos currently pervading in the Indian health sector and involved in Policy Formulation for long-term response to Covid-19 like pandemics.
Prof. Dr S. Natarajan Dr. Ishwar Gilada
President Secretary General, OMAG