RESUMEN
Campaigns for global ban of wildlife trade and consumption have been carried out extensively since the emergence the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) at the end of 2019. However, there was reportedly an initiative to use sun bear bile to treat this zoonotic disease in China. This new development may endanger sun bears (Helarctos malayanus) in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia, because around 60% of the traditional Chinese medicine shops offer the bear’s parts for treating various ailments. In our opinion, wildlife bans and conservative efforts need to be addressed systematically by strengthening law enforcement and banning wildlife product consumption and trade on various platforms, regardless of cultural belief. A movement control order is also proposed at forest reserve areas and national parks during the night or at certain periods. Collaborations are needed between enforcement agencies (e.g. Department of Wildlife and National Parks, police, the armed forces and Customs Department) to patrol protected forests and border smuggling points, besides adoption of the latest surveillance technology to keep the trade in check (e.g. long range drones with infrared thermal imaging system and geographic information system for crime mapping). Citizens can also play their role in aiding the effort through various awareness programmes and helping enforcement agencies by joining the People’s Volunteer Corps. Banning of wildlife trade and consumption, if globally monitored and enforced, may bring benefits to the world like preventing the spread of zoonotic diseases and wildlife sustainability. © 2022
RESUMEN
New data on several COVID-19 infection parameters are slowly beginning to emerge which include the relative frequencies of symptomatic versus asymptomatic individuals positive for COVID-19, individual variation in response to re-purposed drug treatments, prognostic factors for developing severe COVID-19 and genetic risk factors for COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. From a larger perspective, it is our view that these parameters endorse the call for greater efforts in personalised medicine, especially when specific pharmacological interventions (i.e. vaccines or drugs to COVID-19 and other zoonotic diseases) are yet to be developed. Here, the aim of personalised medicine would be to rapidly identify vulnerable individuals and subsequently to design better treatment regimens for them, should COVID-19 or other pandemics appear in future. Application of genomic technology also will continue to be of importance to gain knowledge about the biology of the virus and will facilitate vaccine development and predict markers of resistance and/or susceptibility. © 2021. Penerbit UMT
RESUMEN
A signifcant concern of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is the dramatic decrease in the number of blood donation drives across Malaysia. The pandemic is putting a strain on the blood inventory and supply, especially to transfusion-dependent patients;i.e., thalassemia major, sickle cell disease and cancer patients. This is a retrospective cross-sectional study carried out at the Transfusion Medicine Unit, Hospital USM from December 2019 to April 2020. Data on blood donation and blood component usage were collected and tabulated three months (18th December 2019 to 17th March 2020) before movement control order (MCO) and during the frst phase of MCO (18th March to 17th April 2020). Whole blood units that were donated via mobile drives were predominantly affected with the number of blood donors in blood mobiles decreased by 80.7% during MCO. The decreasing pattern was due to the cancellation of 25 mobile drives, which targeted 1267 blood donors. Blood usage was also escalating down to 840 during the CO, which was due to no elective operations, admissions, or procedures done during the MCO. Routine blood donation and collection thus need to be resumed in less affected areas to meet the clinical needs with greater precaution against COVID-19 infections. © 2021, Penerbit UMT. All Rights Reserved