With input from Dr Monica Vasudev

1090:    Minutes of Virtual Meeting of CMAAO NMAs on “If Sri Lanka can do it, why not others?”

19^th September, 2020, Saturday, 9.30am-10.30am

Participants: Member NMAs: Dr KK Aggarwal, President CMAAO, Dr Yeh Woei Chong, Singapore Chair of Council, CMAAO, Dr Ravi Naidu, Malaysia, Immediate Past President, CMAAO, Dr Alvin Yee-Shing Chan, Hong Kong, Dr Marie Uzawa Urabe, Japan, Dr Ashraf Nizami, President, Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Prakash Budhathoki, Nepal

Invitees: Dr Russell D’Souza, UNESCO Chair in Bioethics, Australia, Dr S Sharma, Editor IJCP Group

Key points from the discussion

• Total cases in Sri Lanka are 3281, which is 153 per million population; total deaths are 13 (0.6 per million population). Yesterday (18^thSept), Sri Lanka had only 5 new cases vs. India which has approximately 1 lakh cases per day. Total tests done in Sri Lanka are 2,62,378 (12,242 per million population).
• Total tests per million population in India are 44,523; deaths are 62 per million population; total cases are 3836 per million population.
• Mortality in Taiwan is 0.3, Hong Kong is 14, Thailand 0.8, Malaysia 4, Vietnam 0.4.
• The healthcare system in countries like Malaysia is well prepared. They started early, took precautions and extended all necessary facilities to healthcare workers. These could be some reasons for low mortality.
• About 90% of deaths are from one state and in an outbreak in a nursing home. The second wave is under control in Victoria, Australia. Mortality and the number of cases are coming down.
• The second wave is also coming down in Japan. The mortality in the second wave is less than in the first wave. The country is preparing for the flu outbreak.
• Hong Kong has conducted a universal mass community testing from 1^stto 14^th About 1.78 million citizens have been screened; only 32 new cases (asymptomatic/very mild) and 10 old cases have been detected. New cases are in single digits; schools are re-opening and limitations of social gatherings are being relaxed.
• The dormitory outbreak in Singapore is largely contained; only 11 cases yesterday (18^th), while community cases are only 0-1.
• Prevent it as along as one can; resurgence is inevitable if any mistake/relaxation.
• Age should be redefined as immunological age (immune status) instead of biological age in this pandemic. There is an “immunopause” i.e., if immunity is low, only then the person is at high risk.
• If there is a baseline mild inflammation in the body, there are higher chances of complications.
• The third sero survey study has shown that 33% have developed antibodies. At any given time in a country like India, about 3% are positive. Another study has shown that 30% of people who had developed the infection in Delhi did not show antibodies. If we add all, the mortality in Delhi is also 0.3%.
• Every member participating in weekly meetings would be given CMAAO Credit hours (1 credit hour for each meeting) based on the number of meetings attended. Till date, 25 such meetings have been held.
• It was decided to hold council meetings every 3 months.
• A Taipei statement on Collaborative Work for managing novel pathogen pandemic was discussed.

Dr KK Aggarwal

President CMAAO, HCFI and Past National President IMA