Page 32 - IB Mar 2020

InDepth InDepth

COVID-19: MANAGING THE

MYTHS AND THE VIRUS

DR JOE KOROIVUETA

By Samisoni Pareti we know undergoes that. Now we are facing a similar trend
with the new Coronavirus (COVID-19), which is causing this
Does the coronavirus survive in hot, tropical climates? atypical pneumonia, flu-like symptoms, respiratory tract
Should doctors treat younger patients first? Was the virus infection and even deaths. It just happens because we are
created in a laboratory? These and many other questions were naïve immunologically, and we have not been conditioned
put to one of Fiji and the Pacific’s leading epidemiologists or exposed to the new virus that spreads from one person to
now in private practice, Dr Joe Koroivueta, as island nations another. It’s the nature of infectious diseases to spread if not
scramble to impose travel restrictions in air and sea borders contained. The responsibility of a person is to ensure that he
amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that has swept all the or she is in good health so that the immune system is in top
continents of the world since it was first detected in Wuhan in condition to fight off the new infectious agent.
China.
IB: How does a community build up its immunity?
Dr Joe Koroivueta: History and science tells us that viruses Dr Koroivueta: The attention should focus on different
have this intrinsic ability to undergo genetic changes, so areas. Number 1 is the public health aspect, number 2 is
from what it is now, the genetic composition can mutate to testing, number 3 is managing communication, you know
a new virus type or a new virus strain. The seasonal flu virus information. If you look at people, disease and information,

32 Islands Business ,March 2020