Just a sneeze away, coronavirus could put India’s health-emergency readiness to its toughest test
Getty Images
A banner placed by Indian health workers during a coronavirus information camp for travellers at the India-Nepal border, around 32 kms from Siliguri, West Bengal, on January 26, 2020.
Synopsis
The lethal coronavirus has reared its head again – the third time in two decades. Past experience shows India has been a laggard in responding to such threats. But the country can’t afford to take it easy on this one, which can quickly blow up into a pandemic.
It is cryptically coded 2019-nCoV and is throwing humanity a menacing dare: Nail me if you can. In less than a month from its detection in China, coronavirus has claimed around 81 victims across several countries. And it has no cure. In terms of virulence and the ability to adapt, 2019-nCoV will likely claim more lives, as alerted a few days ago by disease-modelling experts at London’s Imperial College. Besides, data shows coronaviruses have a
Refer & Earn
Get Unlimited Access to The Economic Times
