The events of the second Mass Gathering Medicine conference, being held in Riyadh, are in full swing, under the royal auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, may Allah protect him. During the second day's sessions, participants have unanimously voiced the importance of educating on the sound health practices among the mass gatherings; in order to hold back the risk of the infectious disease spread, lauding the precautionary measures taken by the Kingdom, represented by the Ministry of Health (MOH) during the past hajj seasons, with the aim of thwarting the arrival of several epidemiological and quarantine to it. In meantime, during the three past days, the conference has seen huge turnout of experts, physicians, and specialists; and a number of officials who have represented the governmental and health bodies, and the scientific and international medical organizations.
Within the same vein, experts have touched upon a host of topics related to the Mass Gathering Medicine, especially CoronaVirus; and all what is related to it in terms of the global epidemiological surveillance, as well as the role of governments in fighting viruses. They also shine light on the disease knowledge gap and reviewing the latest that has been reached in the scientific and medical field with regard to diagnosing the illness cases for those injured with CoronaVirus. Moreover, speakers have tackled a set of questions on the way the disease is directly and indirectly transmitted among humans, and the key factors leading to getting injured with it, and the source of the disease. To that effect, in Britain, studies are being conducted to crack the source of the CoronaVirus.
Further, on some studies which have not been conclusively confirmed, speakers stated that camels and bats could be instrumental in the Coronavirus outbreak after they have found antiviral drugs in these two kinds of animals, urging that more studies are conducted to bear out these studies or dismiss them. This is in order for medicine and science to find out the appropriate means for prevention and treatment.
Within the same vein, participants have underlined that the illness cases of the confirmed CoronaVirus incidence in 2012/2013 amounted to 130 confirmed cases, making clear that death cases were high when cases started to be registered. Shortly after that death rate started to remarkably decline after the measures taken by the health bodies in the states which witnessed the CoronaVirus incidence.
Experts have mentioned that some cases have witnessed severe complications, manifested in a patient's injury with end stage renal disease while some average complications have been observed for some injured with the virus. They went on pointing out that the virus incubation period ranges from a day to 13 days before being transmitted from a person to another. This has been corroborated by studies, conducted in Britain, France, Jordan and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Further, they have observed that the virus is mostly transmitted among those in contact with patients from the family members, or from the health worker groups.
Finally, participants stressed on the importance of the epidemiological surveillance to help trace the source of the disease outbreak and find out about the transmission rate, and the exposure level through which a person can get injured with the disease. They also called for tracking the virus indicator; in order to pinpoint the incidence rate over time, and the nature of the groups that are mostly vulnerable for getting injured with the disease. They further urged on conducting more studies and researches on population, in order to examine the infection rates among the population groups to which infection could be transmitted, as well as being familiar with the contact types through which disease may be transmitted among humans, and working on developing more medical genetic researches and their way of application.