COVID-19 cannot occur in animals

The infectious dose of SARSCoV-2, which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), for humans is currently unknown via all exposure routes. Animal data are used as surrogates.

Rhesus macaques are infected with SARS-CoV-2 through the ocular conjunctival and intratracheal route at a dose of 700,000 PFU. A dose of 700,000 PFU of SARS-CoV-2 infected cynomolgus macaques through combined intranasal and intratracheal exposure (10⁶ TCID₅₀ total dose). Macaques did not show any clinical symptoms, but shed virus through the nose and throat.  

Nonhuman primate infection may not represent human infection.

Initial analyses point out that SARSCoV-2 has the potential to infect genetically modified mice containing the human ACE2 cell entry receptor. Infection through the intranasal route at a dose of 10⁵ TCID₅₀, approximately 70,000 PFU, causes mild infection; however, no virus was isolated from infected animals, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers used in the study do not align well with SARS-CoV-2, thus rendering the findings doubtful.

The infectious dose for SARS in mice is estimated as 67-540 PFU (average 240 PFU, intranasal route).

Genetically modified mice exposed intranasally to 100-500,000 PFU doses of MERS virus exhibit signs of infection. Infection with higher doses leads to severe syndromes.

[https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/mql_sars-cov-2_-cleared-for-public-release_2020_03_25.pdf]

We have no data that it can infect animals

Modelling between SARS-CoV-2 Spike and ACE2 proteins has indicated that SARS-CoV-2 can bind and infect humans, bats, civets, monkeys and swine cells.

[Wan Y, Shang J, Graham R, et al. Receptor recognition by novel coronavirus from Wuhan: An analysis based on decade-long structural studies of SARS. Journal of Virology 2020, JVI.00127-20.]

How does it matter if animals get COVID-19 or not

It matters. We can make the vaccine, antibodies serum from them. And if we believe in Vedas, we can leave these infected animals in the jungle to see which plants they eat and that may be the cure for that virus.

COVID-19 patients cannot shed virus after symptoms disappear

No. A new study suggests that half of the patients treated for mild COVID-19 infection still had coronavirus for up to eight days after symptoms disappeared. The research letter was published online in the American Thoracic Society’s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. It is possible that more severe infections may have even longer shedding times.

The time from infection to onset of symptoms, i.e., the incubation period, was noted to be five days among all patients expect one.  The average symptom duration was eight days, while the length of time patients remained contagious after the symptoms disappeared ranged from one to eight days. Two patients had diabetes and one had tuberculosis. None of the conditions affected the timing of the course of COVID-19 infection. [https://www.thoracic.org/about/newsroom/press-releases/journal/2020/some-covid-19-patients-still-have-coronavirus-after-symptoms-disappear.php]

The disease is uniformly distributed

No. Merely four countries account for over half of the COVID-19 cases globally. These are USA, Italy, Spain and China. These four nations house nearly a quarter of the world’s population and control two-fifths of the global economy, given their share of the world gross domestic product (GDP). China alone makes up a fifth of the global population, and US accounts for almost 25% of the world GDP. [Business Standard]

Situation in Turkey is under control

Turkey recorded its first coronavirus case on March 11. The number of cases and deaths have been rising rapidly in the country since then. Turkey is seeing doubling of the COVID-19 infected cases each day. By comparison, India is seeing a doubling every 3.5 days.

 Kerala is the focus of infection

 One district - Kasargod is the hot spot. On Friday, the state saw 39 new cases, of which 34 were from this district. Kasargod is one of Kerala’s 14 districts and has a population of around 1.3 million. The district has been under a total lockdown since March 21.

The test is possible on day 1

No. We do not know yet. Eclipse phase of infection - time between infection and detectable disease - in an individual is not known.

PPE surfaces cannot transmit infections

Stability of SARS-CoV-2 on PPE (e.g., Tyvek, nitrile, etc.) is not known.

Corticosteroids can be given to COVID-19 patients

Corticosteroids are commonly given to COVID-19 patients at risk of ARDS, but the US CDC does not recommend their use.

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA