It has been an unprecedented one year with theCOVID-19 pandemic ravaging the entire world. Lifehasn’t been much slower since we have known it, withthe infrequent lock-downs and closure of schools andother public places.
We have subsequently navigated several turfs in thescientific world ranging from; the controversy on the“use or otherwise of face masks”, the superioritytussle of “Hydroxychloroquine as a wonder drug”,the “Euraka of Ivermectin” and now the fear ofadverse effects that could potentially accompany theadministration of the currently existing COVID-19vaccines.
SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19 andsince the initial report from Wuhan, China, the numberof infected persons has skyrocketed accounting forthe current global estimate of 154,233,987 cases as of4th May, 2021. Additionally, the SARS-CoV-2 hasunfortunately claimed the lives of several millions ofpeople worldwide. Despite the relatively low mutationrate of this virus, its high prevalence in the humanpopulation globally has allowed it to diversify quicklyand genomic surveillance efforts have since identifieda number of ‘variants of concern’ that have beenassociated with rapid expansion in their localcommunities and spread to other countries.
It’s springtime of the pandemic and the world isstruggling to get over the trauma of the last year, thequarantined are emerging into sunlight, and beginningto navigate travel, classrooms and restaurants. AsNigeria has transcended two successive waves of thecurrent pandemic and the virus continues to evolve,there cannot be a better time to update our knowledgeon COVID-19 and its perpetrator, SARS-CoV-2.Currently, countries like India are going through a nastysecond wave of the COVID-19 pandemic while somehave now moved on to the third wave! Life has refusedto go back to the norm for majority and we are dailydiscovering that when it comes to returning to the oldways, many feel out of sorts. Do we now start to shake hands? Hug? Do we need to continue to wearour masks or move on without a mask and the list goes on.
The current Edition of the Annals of IbadanPostgraduate Medicine highlights interesting researchfrom diverse specialty with focus on COVID-19.Herein are reports on various aspecs of the COVID-19 pandemic including; epidemiological patterns ofthe COVID-19 pandemic; clinical manifestations ofCOVID-19 from the Ear, nose and T hroatperspective; the One-Health approach to tacklingCOVID-19, Post COVID-19 plans for economicrecovery; the impact of COVID-19 on Telemedicine,surgery in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, sexual Healthand malaria control as well as the humoral immuneresponse to COVID-19 was also reported.
I invite us all to grab a cup of Tea or Coffee andenjoy a good read!
Dr. Adeola Fowotade MB;BS, Ph.D., FMCPath,
FWACP
Consultant Virologist/Senior Lecturer
Dept of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology
University College Hospital and College ofMedicine, University of Ibadan,
Nigeria