On February 10, International Day of Science and Humanism - Darwin Day, the Coronavirus epidemic was the topic of the first lecture in the fourth cycle of the Darwin University Week popular science marathon series that focuses on the origins of everything. Professor Sergey Netesov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Director of the NSU Natural Sciences Department Laboratory of Biotechnology and Virology, delivered the lecture “Origins of the New Coronavirus”. In it, he talked about the Coronavirus causes, pathways, dangers, who is most at risk, whether the world is facing a massive pandemic, and whether researchers can create a vaccine for this new virus.
The scientist noted that on the day of the lecture, there was laboratory confirmation of 40, 547 cases of infection, 910 deaths, and 3,410 people who have recovered from coronavirus. Most of those who have died from this virus are men and older people in general. In addition, Dr. Netesov showed the dynamics of the number of infected and noted a possible fracture on the graph curve showing an increase in the number of people who have recovered and a reduction in the number of deaths.
Netesov explained,
The next week will show if this is really a turning point because we know that far from all cases have been identified. Secondly, the epidemic continues to spread, and thirdly, the pockets that have appeared in other countries have not yet fully manifested themselves.
The Professor noted that, according to forecasts, the outbreak of the2019- nCoV virus can last from two to six months, taking into account measures that have been taken by countries with the highest percentage of infected people. Also, some people do not even suspect they are carriers of coronavirus, since the interaction of their organism with the virus is asymptomatic. This greatly complicates the monitoring and control of the spread of infection. As an example, he cited a case when a carrier of the virus arrived in Germany for a rally. She did not get sick but caused the infection and illness of four people. On average, the incubation period for these people was 3-4 days. He also explained that in the case of the 2019-nCoV virus, the asymptomatic course of the virus is often observed with its release into the environment. This increases the distribution area of the virus.
Dr. Netesov called for precautions during this time of year not only because of the coronavirus infection epidemic, but also because there are seasonal outbreaks of influenza and other acute respiratory infections. Precautions mean carefully observe personal hygiene rules, use wipes, disinfectants, and gauze dressings in public places, wear masks for no more than an hour, try not to touch your face with unwashed hands, and avoid contact with exotic animals, even Russian bats. More information on the prevention of respiratory infections can be found on the Rospotrebnadzor website.
He cautioned against falling for marketing techniques that promote well-known broad-spectrum antiviral drugs, such as Arbidol and Oscillococcinum,
These drugs are not effective against coronavirus. There is no evidence that they ever encountered infection carriers. Arbidol, and similar drugs, have nothing to do with the scientific justification that is provided. A drug has not been developed that works against all viruses. If this happens, it will be a miracle. Therefore, despite advertising that assures you these drugs act at all stages of virus replication and can be taken prophylactically, they do not work. This is a typical marketing ploy; tools to prevent coronavirus do not exist.
Dr. Netesov explained why there is no universal or targeted vaccine against coronaviruses today despite its wide distribution. In Russia, for example, there is no single diagnosis for human coronavirus, since it is not included in a single insurance system. The Professor emphasized,
To develop a vaccine in a very short time is an extremely difficult task. Although teams of scientists, using genetic engineering, promise to provide the first drugs in a few months, ready-made vaccines must undergo a rigorous set of preclinical trials to guarantee their safety for people and determine their effectiveness. There is information that in a month American companies are ready to test candidate drugs against the current coronavirus on animals. These companies, Inovio and Moderna, have a definite advantage, as they previously developed vaccines against another type of coronavirus (MERS). However, so far no vaccine, including against MERS, is ready for clinical trials.
