Fear spreads faster than the virus 

Electron micrograph of Coronavirus Virions 

• Researchers say that the virus is spreading faster than the previously reported SARS virus, and could reach out to the world within six months of the onset. 
• As we identified an infected person in Sri Lanka, we need to think global and act LOCALLY and INSTANTLY. It is also important to strategize an effective national plan to face such epidemics. 

Wuhan Coronavirus is one of the viruses that belong to the group of Corona Viruses that cause diseases in animals and would transmit respiratory infections in humans which are often mild but potentially lethal. 

here are no antiviral drugs, vaccines to treat or to prevent the infected. 
The Coronaviruses, in size, range from approximately 26 to 32 kilobases making it the largest for an RNA virus. 
Though the origin recorded to be in Wuhan - China, the name Coronavirus is derived from the Latin and Greek meaning crown or halo, which refers to the characteristic appearance of the infective form of the virus visualized by electro microscope projections creating an image reminiscent of a royal crown. 
The first discovery of the Coronaviruses was reported in 1960 in chickens with infectious bronchitis virus and from the nasal cavities of humans with the common cold and named as Human Corona Virus 229E and OC43. 

In 2003 SARS - CoV, in 2004 HCoV NL 63, in 2005 MERS-Cov, in 2012 HKU1 and 2019 nCoV were discovered. 
Most of these viruses ended up with serious respiratory tract infections in humans who paid the consequences with their lives. 
Following the 2013 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) which had begun in Asia, and secondary cases in the world, the Word Health Organisation WHO) stated the strain that a novel Coronavirus identified was the causative agent for SARS.  The virus was officially named as the SARS Coronavirus (SARS-CoV). About 800 people died out of 8,000 who were infected. 
In September 2012, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) was discovered. 
The World Health Organization then issued a global alert to say that the virus did not transmit human to human but the deaths reported in France and Tunisia revised the alert and named the virus as Human Coronavirus (HCoV) which made 52 deaths out of 124 infected in 2013. However, up to 2019, nearly 2500 cases of infected MERS-CoV identified by the laboratory tests out of which about 850 were fatal. 

In December 2019, a novel strain of Coronavirus was discovered in Wuhan China and the World Health Organisation has officially designated as the nCoV which claimed to have infected over about 14 thousand and had reported deaths arising over 300 as we speak now. 
Wuhan strain further identified as group 2B with a generic similarity to the SARS-CoV. 
As we identified an infected person in Sri Lanka, we need to think global and act LOCALLY and INSTANTLY. It is also important to strategize an effective national plan to face such epidemics. 
Considering the available reports of the 2019 arrivals of the tourists to Sri Lanka from India and China are on top of the list which we have a considerable concern of Coronavirus entering the country through the passengers arriving especially from China.

Therefore serious measures have to be taken to secure the border with strict controls at least for the passengers travelling from China and also from the countries found infected persons. 
There is a considerable number of Chinese nationals working and living in Sri Lanka and it is a must we keep a record of their stay in the country and their recent travels (Especially people from the Wuhan area) to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. 
Ministry of Health in Sri Lanka with the leadership of Minister Mrs Pavithra Wanniarachi, Secretary Mrs Badrani Jayawardena and Director General Health Dr Anil Jasinghe and their team have taken the best approach to control the situation with the highest level of prevention and symptoms based treatments, isolating the locations as well as the infected persons is the best primary measure that a responsible government could take. 
The coordination of the medical unit at the Airport does its frontier duties, which is one of the most important links to the other units in operation, according to the WHO guidelines. 
Further, the Ministry of Health has developed an App where they collect and synchronize data collected at the airport to locate infected people regionally for rapid response in an Emergency. 

Identifying the scale of need, China is building an instant specialised hospital to treat the infected persons which is a futuristic approach towards even for a biological mass distraction which is yet a fiction and could also be a possibility. 
Researchers say that the virus is spreading faster than the previously reported SARS virus, and could reach out to the world within six months of the onset. 
It is also reported that more than 16 countries have already detected 
infected persons. 
It could be more as the detection of the infected are difficult to diagnose before 14 days and performing tests for the virus may not be positive. 
So far the deaths caused by the Coronavirus are due to result of pneumonia and kidney failure. 
The fear psychosis of the public also will be similar to the lag time of the virus and it is our duty as a nation to be vigilant and mindful to face the realistic approach to prevent the spread of the virus without a panic.
The writer is the President of National Chamber of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers of Sri Lanka. He is also the author of Anthrax – Terrorists’ Biological Weapon - 2001