Dr. Juan Acuna, Associate Professor of Epidemiology & Population Health at Khalifa University, Provides an Overview of Coronavirus. He Explains Why the Virus Spreads Quickly, and Offers Important Precautionary Tips to Prevent it from Spreading Further

What is Coronavirus?

There are numerous coronaviruses (CoV) out there, some are the cause of many mild common cold cases in humans every year, and some cause diseases in animals. (Rarely does an animal CoV transmit to humans.)

Seven coronaviruses are known to cause disease in humans, and four of these are the culprits behind the common cold. Coronaviruses 229E and OC43 cause the common cold with their catchy names, while NL63 and HUK1 are also associated with colds. The new kid on the block, SARS-Cov2, is a novel coronavirus identified as the cause of coronavirus disease 2019, named COVID-19, that began in Wuhan, China in late 2019, and has since spread worldwide.

SARS-CoV2 is one of the three coronaviruses that cause much more severe respiratory infections in humans and have caused major outbreaks of pneumonia in the 21^st century. MERS-CoV was identified as the cause of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) that rocked the Middle East in 2012, while SARS-CoV2 was identified in 2002 as the cause of the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

The coronaviruses are spherical viruses containing a single strand of RNA with an envelope of glycoproteins that produce the corona (crown) effect in electron microphotographs, hence the name: coronavirus. They produce frequent, mild respiratory infections in humans, but once infected, the subject develops an immunity that will typically last a few years. Fortunately, humans are very good at developing immunity towards coronaviruses. This means, once you get it, you won’t get it again… unless it mutates. Occasionally, these viruses may produce a more severe form of disease such as SARS and MERS.

COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, but has since spread extensively in China and now worldwide. But the virus does not have legs or wings, and therefore does not have mobility on its own; it must be transmitted by sneezing or coughing (respiratory aerial transmission) or by direct contact between people.

While seasonal flu has a mortality rate of 0.1 percent, COVID-19 has a mortality rate of 1 to 2 percent. So this new disease has a ten to twenty times higher mortality rate, which is important. Seasonal flu kills 30,000 people every year in the US alone, because it infects millions of people every year. COVID-19 has killed about 4,000 people up to the writing of this article (10 March), with a bit more than 110,000 people infected. If we let it infect the same number of people as the common cold, it would kill many more because the death rate proportion is much higher than that of the seasonal flu, which is why COVID-19 has raised such a high level of concern.

Why has COVID-19 spread so rapidly?

COVID-19 took the world by surprise; we were unprepared and no one is immune to the new virus. If we would have been able to prepare, there would probably have been no pandemic.

A pandemic happens when something that is easy to transmit, and for which there is no preparedness or immunity, spreads rapidly. In this case, global panic is coming from the type of virus this one is, and the fact that we have no information as to any treatments or vaccines, as of yet.

Our lack of information, however, is understandable. Prior to this outbreak, nobody was studying this new virus, because it is impossible to prepare for one particular new mutation of a virus. Even with limitless resources and funds, it would be impossible to prepare for each and every possible mutation of a virus, because each and every mutation could cause a different next disease. It is impossible to predict. Even the seasonal flu vaccine each year is a guess as to which strain will become the most widespread—a very educated and carefully predicted guess, but still a guess. You would have to spend hundreds of years on this process to be able to model every single possibility.

That’s why we had no knowledge about COVID-19, and the lack of knowledge has been the most important reason for the rapid spread, panic and reaction.

Khalifa University supports research into epidemiological behavior, diagnosis of, and prevention against viruses like coronavirus. But the reality is that nobody was doing anything specific on immunization and treatment because the new behavior (product of the new mutation) was completely unexpected.

Will the spread of COVID-19 slow down?

Containment is literally in our hands! Containing and preventing the spread of COVID-19 can be achieved by sneezing or coughing into a tissue or your sleeve rather than into the open, by being far away from those that are ill (no contact), and by avoiding physical contact with ill people or with surfaces that may be contaminated. Additionally, to help prevent transmission and contain the outbreak, quarantine and isolation measures are being applied to limit the local, regional, and global spread of COVID-19.

The previous versions of novel coronavirus were very, very nasty. SARS and MERS had high mortality rates and swept through populations causing real concern. That this COVID-19 comes from a novel coronavirus is worrying. But, after carefully observing the cases that have occurred, we have gained knowledge and built some expectations of what could happen, which helps considerably in our efforts to tackle this virus. We’re already seeing a plateau in the curves of new cases, especially in China. China is not seeing as many new cases as in the weeks before, because every susceptible person either has it or is isolated from the sick people—or they’re immune by now.

Khalifa University’s Department of Epidemiology and Public Health is working in support of the health authorities in the UAE, including the Ministry of Health, to put the lid back on the coronavirus box. We support the UAE’s efforts aimed at reducing and avoiding public gatherings, which help to prevent the disease from entering new places, and slow the spread of the disease across the country.

Most importantly, however, we advocate for increased awareness and preparedness among authorities and the general public. It’s vital that people have accurate information about the virus, that measures are in place for public health protection, and health recommendations are promoted and made easily accessible. We need to guide people to appropriate sources of information that is adequate, truthful and unprocessed by untrusted media outlets.

What you can do to stay protected from COVID-19

I don’t recommend using a mask, for starters. A healthy person can’t avoid contact with the virus by using a regular mask, and ill people should already be isolated or confined to their home or healthcare facilities. If you are ill, you shouldn’t use a mask either: pulmonary lesions may be worsened by using a mask. You should be isolated.

Wash your hands regularly and attentively and make sure you cough or sneeze into a tissue or your sleeve. Clean frequently all surfaces, especially those that many people touch. Try to avoid contact with other people where and when possible and don’t touch surfaces that may be contaminated. And stop touching your face! But most importantly, don’t panic.

Most of the information currently available points towards caution and containment and to the management of those ill, so there’s no need to panic buy or hoard anything. Instead, follow the advice and directives issued by the people working to keep the public safe and understand that the aim is to prevent more people from getting coronavirus.

Hopefully, these measures will stop you from getting the disease, but you may have to sacrifice a holiday or attending an event. We will all be affected by COVID-19, but we want to be impacted as little as possible.

The silver lining to any worldwide disease outbreak is the sudden interest in pursuing a career in medicine and public health. Many people go into medicine for altruistic reasons: they want to help cure a disease or look after others. We’re expecting an uptick in applications to our medical programs and we’re looking forward to welcoming a new generation of students inspired by the fight against this and any future pandemic.

The sites where you can find useful and truthful information are:

• Real-time tracking of the pandemic:

• General and extensive information about COVID-19

• Information and advice for TRAVELERS

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HH Sheikh Hamed Chairs Khalifa University Board of Trustees Meeting

His Highness Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Khalifa University of Science and Technology, today chaired a meeting of the Khalifa University Board of Trustees on the Main Campus. HH Sheikh Hamed also witnessed the White Coat Ceremony that marked the start of Fall 2019 classes for the newly enrolled first cohort of students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, and inaugurated ‘The Body Museum’ – the region’s first-ever Body Worlds Exhibition, a traveling exposition of dissected and ‘plastinated’ human bodies, at the Main Campus.

The White Coat Ceremony symbolizes the entrance of medical students to the practice of medicine, and elevates the value of humanism as the core of health care. It also symbolizes a student’s transition to a scientific approach to medicine, while signifying the commitment to the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship. Traditionally, the first-year students receive their first white coat of their medical school career that stands as a symbol of the medical profession.

HH Sheikh Hamed then toured the College of Medicine and Health Sciences’ medical laboratories and class room facilities.

Khalifa University’s Board of Trustees (BoT) members HE Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Cabinet Member and Minister of Education and Vice Chairman of the Board; HE Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Chief Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Chairman, Masdar, HE Prof. Maha Barakat, Senior Advisor, Abu Dhabi Executive Office, Senior Advisor, Mubadala; HE Eng. Saleh Al Abdooli, Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Group, HE Abdulmunim Saif Al Kindy, Director, Exploration, Development and Production Directorate, ADNOC, HE Abdulaziz Abdulla Alhajri, Director, Refining and Petrochemicals Directorate, ADNOC, and HE Dr. Nawal Al-Hosany, Permanent Representative of the UAE to International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) were present on the occasion.

Others from Khalifa University included Dr Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Services, Dr. John Derek Woollins, Provost, and Dr John Rock, Founding Dean, College of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Dr. Rock said: “We extend a warm welcome to the newly-enrolled students through this White Coat ceremony as they begin their learning process, on campus and at external medical facilities. We firmly believe the first batch of students beginning their classes today will excel in their academic and practical performance, setting an excellent standard for the upcoming students to follow in the future. We look forward to celebrating your successful journey to become a physician over the next four years.”

Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences is the first 4X4 allopathic LCME-comparable (Liaison Committee on Medical Education), post-baccalaureate medical college, which prepares its medical students for residency programs in the US and Canada.

Khalifa University has established a “Balsam” community outreach program endorsed by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and the Authority for Social Contribution (Maan) to place inter-professional teams in household-centered care.

Khalifa University College of Medicine and Health Sciences has also developed one of the largest comprehensive 24-station OSCE (Objective Structured Clinical Examination) and Simulation Center, which is designed to test clinical skill performance. The program provides a hands-on real-world approach to learning and assessment. This program will serve hospital residency programs, military training units, and other medical schools in the UAE.

Additionally, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences has developed a state-of-the-art testing center, which is created with Prometric and Pearson VUE standards which will allow Graduate Record Examinations (GRE), National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) testing on site.

Khalifa University has signed a six-month agreement with Body Worlds to host the exhibition at the campus in Abu Dhabi. The region’s first-of-its-kind exhibition aims to inform visitors about anatomy, physiology, and health by viewing real human bodies that are preserved through plastination. The exposition of dissected human bodies, animals, and other anatomical structures focuses on the human life-cycle, capturing the body at every stage – at its most healthy, as it changes, grows, matures, and finally wanes. The Body Worlds Exhibition being hosted at Khalifa University is open to students from across schools and universities in the UAE as well as general public.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi said: “By bringing the Body Worlds Exhibition to Abu Dhabi, we have demonstrated to the community the extent of learning the students will undergo at Khalifa University’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences. The exhibits demonstrate the complexity, resilience, and vulnerability of the human body in distress, stricken by disease or in optimal health. We believe the exhibition will help students in the UAE learn about the marvels of human body and gain insights into human anatomy, its various stages and how adopting a healthier lifestyle positively impacts the body.”

The intent of the exhibition is to introduce the visitor to the functions of each human muscle and nerve, while moving or concentrating as is the case with the chess player, as well as the contraction of each muscle and nerve in the back and its extension, with each movement of his hand while moving a heavy stone. The plastinated body also demonstrates the coordination of a swimmer’s feet, leg muscles and arms with every movement in water, as well as spectacular muscle growth in athletes. The display of dark gray smokers’ lungs damaged by smoking, demonstrates how bad habits damage the body.

The most visited traveling exhibition in the world, ‘Body Worlds: The Original Exhibition of Real Human Bodies’, was invented in 1977 by the German anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens. The plastination process, which can take up to a year for each body, is a technique or process used in anatomy to preserve bodies or body parts. The water and fat are replaced by certain plastics, yielding specimens that can be touched, do not smell or decay, and even retain most properties of the original sample.

With plastination, it is possible to permanently display the inside of a body in a more fascinating and aesthetic way. These plastinated specimens are practically imperishable, allowing them to be handled and understood but can be used for the training of future doctors, as well as for educating medically interested laymen.

The Body Worlds exhibition aims to urge human beings to realize the importance of the human body and keep away from diseases caused by harmful habits and behavior. The exhibition can also be described as a simplified anatomy lesson that combines visitor education and satisfies curiosity.

Preparing a whole body plastinate can take up to 800 hours of work, and it requires good anatomical knowledge, manual skill, and  patience. However, once completed, this plastinated body ��ݮ��Ƶ only the scientific aspect of anatomy and does not in any way harness the human spirit for commercial display. Thus a student or a visitor can understand, from inside, the human body, which is otherwise only explained by a physician or can be read from a book with theoretical information, but without sufficient life-like visual details.

Located at the Main Campus of Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences is offering the post-graduate MD program in five strands – Biomedical Science, Clinical Medicine, Medicine and Society, Physicianship, as well as Research, Technology and Innovation.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
10 September 2019

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The first day of school is exciting for everyone; but possibly none more so than for the very first class of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Khalifa University. The brand new Department of Medicine marked the entrance of the first cohort of students into the medical profession with a White Coat Ceremony held in the Main Campus Auditorium on Tuesday September 10.

A relatively new, but no less momentous ritual, the white coat ceremony is a rite of passage in the journey toward a healthcare career and involves a formal “coating” of students, where each future medical professional receives their white coat.

In the nineteenth century, respect for the certainty of science was in stark contrast to the quackery and mysticism that plagued medicine at the time and to emphasize the transition to the more scientific approach to modern medicine, physicians rejected the black overcoat of yesteryear for the most recognizable symbol of the scientist—the white lab coat.

Before even their first class, students are initiated into the medical profession with the commitment to what their white coat represents: becoming (and staying) proficient in the science and technique of medicine and to the human obligations of being a doctor.

The white coat reminds students of their professional duties by being easily recognizable and a repository for information. Pockets hold reference cards and penlights, reflex hammers and notebooks; the neck is adorned by a stethoscope. Above all, the coat is a cloak of compassion.

Donning the white coat is a promise to pursue medical education diligently and to embody all the vital attributes of a good doctor: compassion, honesty, tolerance and respect. It’s a promise to always strive to be worthy of the privilege of being a doctor and a warm welcome to a profession of status and importance.

Jade Sterling
News and Features Writer
10 September 2019

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