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Post-Covid-19: Why do we lag so behind in medical research?

1 avril 2020, 12:32

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Post-Covid-19: Why do we lag so behind in medical research?

(…) As a hub for business, we stand out, not only in the African continent but also globally, even outdoing nations like Australia and the UAE. So why do we lag so behind in medical research? If we can breed outstanding economists and businessmen, why haven’t we borne, empowered and retained our own scientific intellectuals? Today we face the first pandemic that most of us have ever encountered. Every outbreak provides an opportunity to gather crucial information, some of which associated with a limited window of opportunity. For example, Li and colleagues (New England Journal of Medicine, 2020) have reported a mean interval of 9.1 to 12.5 days between the onset of illness and hospitalization following Covid-19 infection. 

Such data on the delay in the progression to serious disease may be useful in dissecting the pathogenesis of this novel virus, providing a unique window for timely intervention and optimization of a measured response. 

«If we can breed outstanding economists and businessmen, why haven’t we borne, empowered and retained our own scientific intellectuals?»

The fear is palpable. A bug of a microscopic size has brought the world to its knees, relentless in its passage and indiscriminate of social status, GDP or geographical location. The Covid-19 outbreak should serve as a strong reminder of the ongoing challenge of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and the need for constant surveillance , prompt diagnosis, and robust research to understand the basic biology of new microorganisms and our susceptibilities to them, as well as develop effective countermeasures. Had we invested in sound health care and medical research, perhaps the outlook could have been significantly different. With just another couple of thermal cyclers or PCR machines in our armoury for up-scaling timesensitive Covid-19 testing, and investment in competent scientists to run the diagnostics, detect any potential mutation in the virus, which has now travelled thousands of air and nautical miles, and collect and analyze unique datasets on whether the experimental treatment with hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin is safe and efficacious in Covid-19-positive Mauritians, could have been a game changer.

Dr Reshma Ramracheya, Leader Research Fellow at Wolfson College.