The cases of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), erupted in December 2019 in Wuhan China, are rising each day in China; the disease also spread to more than 25 countries. So far more than 72,000 cases and more than 1800 deaths are reported worldwide. This pandemic, global threat, demands nationwide awareness.

Coronavirus belongs to family Coronaviridae. The family members cause illness from common cold to life threatening diseases, like Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). SARS-CoV was identified in 2003, first infected human in China in 2002, has killed around 650 cases. Similarly, MERS-CoV, identified in Saudi Arabia in 2012 has killed more than 800 peoples. Both the viruses were evolved in animals (bats and camel).

The culture of eating bush meat from exotic animals in China warned in 2007 the possibility of re-emergence of SARS, due to the presence of large reservoir of SARS-CoV like viruses in horseshoe bats and other animals; and considered it as Time-bomb.

The Rotary Club Cosmopolitan is organizing an awareness campaign on COVID-19.  Prof. Aqeel Ahmad, Chairman and Dean Faculty of Science, Barrett Hodgson University is invited to speak on” Coronavirus the Culprit” of current global threat at the Rotary Club on Friday February 21, 2020 at 8:00pm.