Corona morbidity, mortality rate in Pakistan

ABBOTTABAD: Morbidity and mortality ratio due to coronavirus might be less in Pakistan and underdeveloped world as compared to developed world, claimed a medical researcher on Saturday.

Dr Ayub Jadoon, assistant professor Microbiology & Immunology at Abbottabad University of Science & technology (AUGT), said this in an interview with The News based on his research articles about COVID-19.

“In Pakistan and underdeveloped world where the population is living in an ocean of microorganisms and a normal city inhabitant inhales more than 70,000 microorganisms on a daily basis, the other pathogens which enter throughout the drinking water and contaminated food are in addition to this. It’s the mercy of the immune system in the immunocompetent individuals that the body counters this heavy load of the pathogens and we remain healthy or even the signs of the disease don’t appear,” he claimed.

Dr Ayub Jadoon, a PhD scholar who has published a number of research articles on Covid-19, further said that in Pakistan, self-isolation for the positive cases has even enabled the people to recover from the virus due to an efficient immune system.

He stressed the public not to be panicked and strengthen health and supportive system. He was of the view that the passive immunisation for the hospitalised patients is also an effective treatment. In addition interferon’s, IL6 inhibiting immunoglobulins, antiviral drugs and hydroxyl chloroquine, which are presently available along with some antibiotics, may be a possible strategy.

Quoting his recent research article, he said that whenever a pathogen virus, bacteria, fungi, protozoans, actinomycetes enter into the body through any route, such as either inhalation, ingestion, transfusion or through a skin contact, it is encountered by the innate immune system in the immunocompetent individuals and is either engulfed or disintegrated by the macrophages, which are specific leukocytes and part of the immunity which is by birth.

Dr Jadoon also said that pathogens are all around in environment, drinking water in foods, in homes in markets, parks, gardens, offices, hospitals, roads, streets and everywhere. He said People in Pakistan acquire the microorganisms even before birth through the infected mothers. Even after birth, the newborns are also infected with pathogens.

Interestingly, he disclosed that in newborns it’s the colostrum which is the first milk of the mothers containing defensive Antibodies IGg are transferred to the newborn which keeps them safe until the development of their own immune system.