CORONAVIRUS Knowledge Centre

Intertwining Sources of Knowledge & information

Coronavirus belongs to the family of viruses called corona viruses, which can cause illnesses such as the common cold, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

In 2019, a new coronavirus was identified, as the cause of a disease outbreak that originated in China, and was named as COVID-19. Since then, the virus (COVID-19) has infected an increasingly large number people across the world. Due to its spread across the globe at an alarming rate, WHO has declared the coronavirus as a global pandemic in March 2020.

Prevalence of misdirected and incorrect information can further worsen the situation. To avoid this unwanted situation, availability of trusted and reliable sources of knowledge and information becomes critically important. This webpage has been developed to direct information seekers to trusted and reliable sources of knowledge and information about different aspects of the Coronavirus disease outbreak.

Ø Signs and Symptoms

Ø Basic Protective Measures

Ø National Sources

Ø International Sources

Ø United Nations

Ø Latest News

Signs and symptoms

Signs and symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in 2 to 14 days after exposure to the virus and may include:

• Fever

• Cough

• Shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing

Most people who become infected with coronavirus, experience mild illness and recover but it can be more severe for others.

Basic protective measures against coronavirus

Basic protective measures against the coronavirus as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) are as follow:

Wash your hands frequently

Regularly and thoroughly clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.

Why? Washing your hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands.

Maintain social distancing

Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing.

Why? When someone coughs or sneezes they spray small liquid droplets from their nose or mouth which may contain virus. If you are too close, you can breathe in the droplets, including the COVID-19 virus if the person coughing has the disease.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth

Why? Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.

Practice respiratory hygiene

Make sure you, and the people around you, follow good respiratory hygiene. This means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.

Why? Droplets spread virus. By following good respiratory hygiene you protect the people around you from viruses such as cold, flu and COVID-19.

If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical care early

Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on the situation in your area. Calling in advance will allow your health care provider to quickly direct you to the right health facility. This will also protect you and help prevent spread of viruses and other infections.

Stay informed and follow advice given by your healthcare provider

Stay informed on the latest developments about COVID-19. Follow advice given by your healthcare provider, your national and local public health authority or your employer on how to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

Why? National and local authorities will have the most up to date information on whether COVID-19 is spreading in your area. They are best placed to advise on what people in your area should be doing to protect themselves.

National Sources

Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination, Pakistan

· Know About Covid-19

· Latest Updates about Coronavirus Patients

· Pakistan Corona Cases Detail

· International cases detail

· Corona Chatbot

COVID-19 Health Advisory Platform, Pakistan

· COVID-19

· Laboratories

· Chatbot

· Preventions

· Contact

National Institute of Health, Pakistan

· COVID-19 Daily Situation Report – NIH Pakistan

· National Action Plan for Corona virus disease (COVID-19) Pakistan

· Advisory on Mitigation Strategies Covid-19

· Designated Hospitals / Isolation Ward for COVID-19

· Most frequently asked questions and most reliable answers on coronavirus by WHO

· National Institute of Health Response

· Testing Recommendation for Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19)

· SOP for Waste Management at Airport about Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

· Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Collection, Storage & Transportation of Specimens for Novel Coronavirus Diagnosis

· Case definition for Screening of Passengers at International Airports of Pakistan

· Travel Advisory for the Prevention and Control of Novel Corona Virus (2019-nCoV)

· Updated Advisory on Pneumonia outbreak due to novel coronavirus, in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China (25/1/2020)

· Surveillance Mechanism for Novel Corona Virus Cases (2019-nCoV)

· Guidelines / Standard Operating Procedures for International Flights inbound to Pakistan in wake of Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

· nCoVirus Clinical Care & Prevention GoP Guidelines

· Infection Prevention and Control during Health Care for nCoV Suspected Patient

Aga Khan Hospital (Centers for Corona Virus)

· Home Care Instructions of Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19 Patients

· The Aga Khan University Hospital - COVID-19 Update

· COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

· COVID-19 Facebook LIVE Session Recording

Specialized Health Care & Medical Education Department, Punjab

· Latest News about COVID-19

Health Department Government of Sindh

· COVID-19 Statistics in Sindh

· Daily Situation

Health Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

· Advisory regarding Corona Virus disease

· Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) Statistics Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Health Services, Baluchistan

International Sources

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Contains information for:

· Laboratories

· Public health professionals

· Healthcare professionals

· Travelers

· Businesses

· Check and Report Everyday Booklet – China

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

Includes the following publications:

· Non-pharmaceutical measures to delay and mitigate the impact of COVID-19

· Personal protective equipment (PPE) needs in healthcare settings

· Environmental cleaning in non-healthcare facilities

· Public health management of persons having had contact with novel coronavirus cases

· Algorithm for management of contacts of probable or confirmed 2019-nCoV cases

· Infection prevention and control for the care of patients

Australian Department of Health

The information contained there-in provides daily updates, answering questions, the latest news, current facts and figures, travel advice etc. under the following headings:

· Find the facts

· Home isolation and care

· For travelers who have been in mainland China, Iran, Republic of Korea and Italy

· For international travelers

· For parents of school aged children

· For aged care residents and families

· For childcare, schools and higher education

· For employers

· For travel, transport and hotel industries

Health Information and advice by Govt. of the United Kingdom

Contains Information of the Government of the United Kingdom under the following headings:

· Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance

· COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people

· COVID-19: stay at home guidance

· Travel advice: coronavirus

Basic Policies for Prevention and Control of the Novel Coronavirus, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan.

The information and procedures adopted by Japanese Government is indicated on the following lines:

· The Basic Policies

· Understanding the situation of infection

· Prevention Measures and Guide of Consultation

· Measures for preventing outbreaks

National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China

Details and information about the Corona Virus indicated by Chinese National Health Commission:

· Graphic: Report of the WHO-China joint mission on COVID-19

· Facts about the novel coronavirus - Myths busted

· For different groups of people: how to choose masks

The Global Health Network (COVID-19 knowledge hub)

This web page is for 2019 Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 supports evidence generation by pooling protocols, tools, guidance, templates, and research standards generated by researchers and networks working on the response to this outbreak. It includes the following:

· COVID-19 Clinical Research Resources

· Case Record Form (CRF) available in English, Chinese, French, and Portugues

· COVID-19 Clinical Characterizations Protocol (CCP)