RESPONSE OF MEDICAL JOURNALS TO COVID-19

Abstract

The new coronavirus that started as a handful of infections in central China has speedily become a worldwide outbreak, shutting down entire cities, threatening the health of thousands and testing the strength of the global economy. It is a large family of viruses, named for their crown like spikes. 1960s was the decade when Coronavirus was discovered for the first time. The virus is known to cause deadly disease in mammals including cats, dogs, bats and mice etc. They possess fatal strains of virus. Coronavirus possess a single stranded RNA genome consisted of 26-32 kilobases. Serious type of RTIs are reported to be caused by coronaviruses. These RTI infections might be of acute type causing death as well. Infectious bronchitis virus was the ever first member of coronaviruses that was found in poultry. Later, two other viruses from human suffering from common cold were discovered. These were HCoV OC43 & HCoV 229E. In 2003, one more member belonging to this family was identified by the researchers. This was SARS-CoV (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome). In 2004, HCoV NL63, HKU1 in the year 2005, MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) in 2012 and recently in December 2019, 2019-nCoV were discovered that were stood responsible for the spread of serious and deadly RTIs. The destructive effects of the SARS-CoV were seen in November 2002 in southern Chinese province Guangdong with 8000 victims and around 770 deaths. It was 2012 when MERS-CoV was reported for the first time in Saudi Arabia. The virus caused 2494 persons infected with around 850 deaths. Last year in December 2019, a few cases of pneumonia having unknown aetiology have been reported in Wuhan, China. The subjects infected from the virus were found to worked at or had a residence near Huanan seafood marketplace. Deaths reported as a result of this pneumonia. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of China recognized a novel coronavirus and it was named as 2019-nCoV by World Health Organization. Next generation sequencing was used to identify the name 2019-nCoV.

COVID-19 changed the entire scenario of the world. The pattern of education, trade, business, medical industry changed from its normal. The pattern of publication industry has also altered many folds during the disease. Several international journals have urged authors to publish data on the disease by giving many facilities including open access to readers, expeditious peer review process and a considerable waiver in publication fee. This is the reason that the issues of the journals published during this disease has no matches in the past. In the developing countries, several journals were affected because they were not prepared to handle the situation. For a limited time period, the process of publication was remained stopped or delayed because of limited crew and financial funds.

In Pakistan, Journal of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan was the one that coped the crisis very well and contributed significant papers through special supplement issue on the disease. A second supplement is also published with many reviews, case reports. editorial, letter to the editor and commentaries.   

At the end, we would say that the researchers are not exempted from the competition in publishing a research or to register a patent. But in the battle to resolve the disease issue, the researchers around the globe are working together. The publication industry is also playing its role carefully and enthusiastically. We present tribute to all those who are playing their role in eradication of the disease by their day and night efforts.