FEVER Silent SCOURGE

The world grapples with a new enemy, SARS-CoV-2, and no one knows for how long

- G. Ananthakrishnan

An invisible foe has swept the globe, catching countries by surprise with its deadly virulence. Travellers who spent time in countries where the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, was present, unwittingly took it with them far and wide.

Many countries, some faster than others, threw a shield around their travel points when the transmission of the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease became clear. The U.S., most European countries, Canada and Japan, among others, imposed various levels of curbs on the entry of foreigners and non-essential travel. The frantic effort was to halt the virus in its tracks. South Korea, Italy, Iran, Spain, Germany, France and the U.S. were engulfed by the scourge that was first reported in China. On another continent, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa imposed travel restrictions.