Coronared

By Morris Madzime

This informative and easy to understand book, seeks to put critical information about COVID-19 at the disposal of the average person. As the adage goes, “knowledge is power”.

About the Author

Author, Morris Madzime is a medical scientist by training and a teacher by occupation. He holds a Master of Science in medical immunology which he obtained with distinction. He studied both immunology and viruses for each of his three science degrees, BSc (UZ), B.Med.Sc (Hons) (UFS) and MSc (UP). In his current occupation as a teacher, he is credited by students for simplifying subjects of discussion. He is currently reading for a PhD in medical immunology at the university of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Morris Madzime
• Release date: Apr 23, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005666385

Book preview

CORONARED

MORRIS SPK MADZIME

Copyright © 2021 Morris SPK Madzime

First edition 2021

Published by Morris SPK Madzime publishing at Smashwords

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Morris SPK Madzime using Reach Publishers’ services

Edited by Francois Rabe for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.org

E-mail: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

Foreword

1. Introduction

2. Viruses

3. Immunity Against Viruses

4. Coronaviruses

5. Coronavirus Disease in Humans

6. Prevention of COVID-19

7. Treatment of COVID-19

8. COVID-19; the Endgame

Conclusion

Foreword

In 2010, a new teacher was appointed for Physical Sciences in the Free State, South Africa. From the word go, we took notice of this talented man. I met him in person a few years later when he moved into the district where I was the subject advisor for Physical Sciences. What a pleasant experience it has been to work with Morris Madzime since then!

One often wonders what attributes a good teacher should have. My view is that the right fit is someone who is motivated, dedicated and knowledgeable. Such a person is Morris. He is highly qualified with a master’s degree in biological sciences as well as qualifications in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics. Morris is currently studying towards a PhD in medical sciences. His research is aimed at shedding light on the continued morbidity associated with drug toxicity in HIV patients.

Although I am not a biologist, I enjoyed this well researched review of scientific facts around Covid-19 as an illness and viruses in general with a focus on the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The sequence of chapters makes the reading interesting and the book accessible to the public. Many other resources are given for those who want to explore the topic more deeply. Once again, I was reminded of the wonderful world in which we live. Viruses have been with us for centuries, but it is how we deal with them that determines various outcomes.

The reader will gain great understanding as to why specific practical measures offer protection. Scientific facts are provided with regards to why wearing masks, basic hand hygiene and sanitisation are useful. Conspiracy theories may be dismissed and irresponsible behaviour by individuals is clearly illustrated as problematic. Of much interest are case studies on how different governments approached COVID-19. The book also explores the different routes to finding a cure or cures for Covid-19 which deserve the respect of scientists and medical personnel.

It was a pleasure to read it.

Henry Welman

2020

Chapter 1

Introduction

In December 2019, an acute respiratory disease first observed as a cluster of pneumonia cases broke out at the Huanan Seafood Market in Wuhan in China’s Hubei province.¹, ²The initial outbreak involved about 66% of staff at the market leading to its shutdown on 1 January 2020. However, the proverbial horse had already bolted and the outbreak spread to other provinces including Zhejiang, Guangdong, Henan and Hunan, as well as various cities, among them Beijing and Shanghai.² The person identified as ‘patient zero’ was hospitalised on 12 December 2019, but on 25 January 2020, some 44 days later, at least 1 975 cases had already been reported.³ The outbreak quickly spread across the world, and by 7 March 2020⁴ had already infected more than 100 000 and killed more than 3 000 people in 100 countries. It met the epidemiological criteria for it to be declared a pandemic.⁵

Up to the first week of March 2020, the outbreak had maintained the status of ‘epidemic’, even as the disease had travelled to other countries, such as Thailand, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Germany, the United States of America (USA) and Singapore.² However, after the outbreak had met the ‘pandemic’ status, it took just 12 days, from 7 March to 19 March 2020, for the number of infected individuals to double to 200 000 and the number of deaths to triple to around 9 000 people worldwide.⁴ While the huge jump in infection numbers could be surprising to many ordinary people, it is a well-understood phenomenon in epidemiology. Dr.  Zunyou Wu, the chief epidemiologist of the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and his colleagues, who studied samples from a patient who had been admitted to the Central Hospital of Wuhan on 26 December 2019, concluded the outbreak was caused by a new coronavirus.³

China responded to the outbreak by implementing isolation, quarantine, social distancing and community containment measures.⁶ By 26 January 2020, almost 50 million people in