There is need for an integrated response from
all academicians and researchers to combat the COVID-19 crisis and its
far-reaching implications
Number
of persons affected by COVID-19 has already exceeded one million mark and the
number of deceased is about to reach one lakh worldwide. Apart from causing huge
mortality and morbidity, coronavirus outbreak has tremendous economic,
sociological, psychological, educational, cultural, geo-political and
humanitarian implications too. At this very juncture, scientists, academicians
and researchers need to utilize their expertise to their fullest and put forth
their ideas and solutions towards countering all such challenges posed by the
ongoing crisis particularly in light of the well-reasoned apprehensions that while
the actual crisis may last for another few months, the world might take several
years to overcome its overall implications. We need to exploit several windows
of opportunity that this crisis has thrown open to us. It should mark a new
beginning of re-oriented exploration and renewed search for solutions to such
unforeseen disasters, a new journey leading towards survival and sustainability
of mankind on this planet, learning new lessons of pro-active preparedness and
capacity building. However not taking any cues from the present crisis shall be
marked by not exploiting any windows of opportunity and reverting back to the
pre-covid status, continuing with our misdirected goals and misplaced priorities
and doing nothing in anticipation of more such possible rather impending disasters
in future. This could eventually lead the human race towards a bigger disaster
threatening its very existence and survival on earth.
While our
medical, para-medical and healthcare personnel have been undoubtedly doing a
highly commendable, yeoman’s job by leaning to the forefront and taking this
pandemic head-on, our philanthropic self-help groups and volunteers too have
been rendering exemplary and laudable humanitarian services like good
Samaritans under these tough and testing times. In addition to their admirable
pre-emptive, promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative healthcare
services, our medical, para-medical and biomedical scientists need to join
hands and come out with innovative solutions to the present crisis besides new
knowledge related to the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, signs and
symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, possible complications, prevention and control
of COVID-19. It is also time for our scientists and technocrats in
particular to chip in from their home quarantines or otherwise with their
well-conceived and well-considered expert opinions about overcoming the currently
compounding crisis. While our biotechnology, immunology, molecular
medicine and biochemistry experts can work on new antibodies like monoclonal
antibodies used in cancer or on any new leads for developing a new vaccine; chemical
and pharmaceutical scientists can work on new leads and ideas for developing
novel drugs and formulations, make sanitizers and disinfectants available
besides educating people on the therapeutic effects and side effects of available
and upcoming treatment modalities.
While botany,
bioresources and taxonomy faculty can inform about the health benefits of local
herbs and spices like saffron that could prove beneficial in countering the
COVID threat, onset or complications, our biomedical scientists in association
with physics and engineering experts can do something about innovative and
cheaper ventilators, PPEs and testing kits; computer scientists can
develop algorithms, mobile apps and tools for contact tracing using GPS and
other technologies; sociology and psychology experts can suggest possible physical,
social and psychological implications of the pandemic, social distancing and
home quarantining followed by measures required to counter them whereas economics
and political science faculty can work on economic and political consequences
and ramifications of the pandemic and suggest ways and means how to handle
them. COVID-19 pandemic seems to be more about mathematics and statistics,
therefore these experts can suggest mathematical modeling of the disease spread
and forecast its trajectory statistically. Similarly commerce and management
experts can devise strategies for saving our trade, commerce and economy during
and after the COVID crisis and suggest strategies for better management of the current
pandemic.
Similarly
possible role of all other academic disciplines too can be outlined. Thus
academicians and researchers belonging to all disciplines can contribute their expert
opinions in confronting this global as well as national emergency. However as a
result of the ongoing lockdown they can stay connected through virtual, digital
and online platforms and chime in with their ideas in this regard. It is time
to put our minds together and emerge out of the ongoing crisis through
collective wisdom and united efforts. Virtual task forces could be constituted by
the administration to work on different facets of the pandemic and evolve
solutions to various problems that have already arisen and are likely to arise
in days to come. Though there is no denying the fact that at individual level
many academicians and researchers are contributing significantly towards
containment, suppression and mitigation of COVID-19 besides relief work,
rehabilitation, public awareness and resource mobilization, yet there is need
for a stronger integrated, innovative and scholarly response to combat the rapidly
unfolding crisis and uncertainty.
It is
being said that at present except China every other country is behind the curve
of the spread of COVID pandemic which implies that while countries like USA,
Spain, Italy, Iran and Germany might be peaking on this curve at present,
countries like India, Pakistan, middle-east and many African countries might be
yet to peak. Around 15-20% asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus pose a grave
threat since it is them who shall decide when the pandemic will peak in any
country. Their vigorous testing at a mass scale followed by rigorous contact
tracing alone can lead to suppression of COVID-19. Efforts of all the countries
throughout the world at present are focused at limiting the spread of pandemic
below their maximal healthcare capacities available since any cross-over beyond
the saturation point will lead to complete collapse of their healthcare systems
which in turn will lead to utter mayhem. Only workable strategy to achieve that
is through mass containment via lockdown which in turn will lead to flattening
of the curve. However longer the duration of mass containment for flattening
the COVID curve, deeper and steeper goes down the curve of economic recession
making it a really hard choice for the countries. Priorities of many countries
like India at present appear to save the human lives even if it means to put
their economies at a huge risk owing to their limited and below-standard
healthcare facilities. It is exactly here where the expert opinion and creative
ideas could be of help in minimizing its impact on the economy and other
sectors. It may not come to many as a big surprise if India chooses to go for a
49 day lockdown at a stretch rather than allowing a five day or week-long break
between two such consecutive periods.
Coronavirus
disease outbreak has exposed many chinks in our armour. It has virtually caught
us napping in terms of our preparedness to combat a crisis of this magnitude
and mange its consequences well. We have turned into consumers of knowledge and
resources emerging from rest of the world necessary for tackling its fall-outs.
Colleges, universities, health institutions and research centres in India have
not come out with any substantial new knowledge, guidance, resources, policy
papers or blueprints to counter the economic, sociological, psychological,
medical, commercial, humanitarian and health-related challenges posed by the
pandemic. We are fully dependent on what outer world feeds into the public
domains with very little advice commensurate to our local needs and demands.
Therefore we need to learn this bitter lesson from the ongoing crisis and
prepare for more such challenges and other possible, similar disasters in the coming
decades. COVID-19 must serve as an eye-opener and awaken us from the deep
slumber. It must jolt us enough to do whatever is needed to overcome any such
crisis in future. An integrated response from all academicians and researchers
is therefore a dire need of the hour.
