Since the start of current pandemic, the other respiratory viruses seem to have suddenly disappeared from the globe. It is understandable that coronavirus is currently the predominant circulating virus but what happened to viruses that have been causing small, seasonal outbreaks in humans from times immemorial? Where are the adenoviruses, respiratory syncitial viruses, human influenza and parainfluenza viruses, rhinoviruses etc.?
Are the virologists testing the patients' nasal specimens for viruses other than corona? Or for other microbes? Is it wrong to presume that in several patients, coronavirus may just be a co-infection and the patients are actually dying of other unidentified micro-organisms? There is negligible published evidence on this aspect of COVID-19 pandemic.
Ascribing deaths to COVID-19 alone, keeps the justification for a vaccine alive. Are the medical professionals, particularly the microbiologists and epidemiologists doing just that, knowingly or unknowingly?
This is an interesting question raised. The current COVID-19 pandemic, appears to have taken all the limelight and there is seemingly less focus on other respiratory viruses, particularly, influenza. However, there could be another possibility, that the various preventive and social measures been taken to control the COVID-19 pandemic are probably reducing the incidence of other respiratory viral infections as well.
My view is that all the other viruses are existing without any change. However, the global focus is on COVID 19. It sounds like only a deviation of attention.
Dear Researcher
It is a very interesting question
I think the other viruses are present, but you know there is no competition, especially when taken in considering COVID may be modified, in addition to that, there is no need for a place or nutrition??
Currently, the main focus is concentrated on Corona virus, and therefore, other respiratory viruses, such as bird flu, respiratory syncitial viruses, rhinoviruses, adenoviruses, swine flu etc. a have received less attention.
The other viruses are still here but all precaution measures taken against Covid -19 pandemic (wearing masks, washing hands, distancing etc.) have also contributed to limit drastically the infection by the other viruses.
Devi Dayal
Dear Professor,
Its a very interesting question that you have raised. I am referring to it as "interesting" because it gives rise to some other questions as well.
In a country like India, there are already "epidemics" of other disease going on. That list includes influenza, cough and cold, malaria, dengue etc. The local doctors are having a terrible time in trying to differentiate between influenza and COVID. We are not talking too much about these matters because the focus and attention is now on COVID. So, here I thought that some possible questions that can arise are
1. How much focus is given to COVID-19?
2. What is the impact of this focus?
3. Is it right to focus so much on COVID-19?
4. Is the medical sector becoming a victim of media attention?
Thank you.
Best regards,
Anamitra.
Wait.. They will come soon. I recommend that you should follow which viruses are being worked by developed countries e.g. USA. UK, Russia, China.
Next pandemic may be RVFV or may be inluenza again..It was important to be ready for pandemic.Eventually,
this pandemic shown that any countries were not ready for pandemic not only developing or undeveloped but also developed countries...In ongoing pandemic. all of strategic struggle plans for pandemic was rubbish.
I hope that everyone takes lesson from ongoing pandemic as well as the past pandemic. in particular polticians and statesmen.
That's for sure! What frightens me is that because of the advancement of social networking, it is so easy for anyone to pass on information (much of it nonsense).
So there are many people who seem to believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is not even happening at all!
Laboratory tests for the diagnosis of viral respiratory system diseases are not routinely performed in most countries. diagnoses are made by symptoms.The more tests and screening programs you apply for a disease, the more patients you will catch. After covid, people started to behave more carefully. The use of masks not only prevented the spread of covid, but also many respiratory diseases. In the clinic, doctors started to focus more on covid diagnosis
Asymptomatic and presymptomatic individuals are the important source for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. If we want to overcome an ongoing pandemic, we have to find these people in society. This struggle can be done by extensive screening as well as vaccination campaign. However, this is a costly issue for countries having a large population. Ongoing pandemic also points out that the sensitivity of diagnostic tests is so important. Nowadays, it is the reality that RT-qPCR test using routinely for COVID-19 are working with 74% sensitivity; so 26% left are not being caught. This is the unbelievable bad rate for PCR that is still known as the most sensitive tool for the diagnosis of viral infections. There is a need for sensitive, faster and cheaper diagnostic kits.
It seems to me that over time, this virus will take its place in the group of viruses that cause seasonal respiratory diseases in humans. However, the question of the role of wild and domestic animals remains open.