Question

IMPORTANT!!! Please answer it precisely. It is expected to use academic knowledge and language. Use your own words, do not copy paste.

Please explain in detail how the microbiology information about the infectious diseases and their epidemiology, aseptic techniques of microbiology (sterilization, disinfection, antimicrobial techniques and agents) helped you during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please give detailed examples of how you used your microbiology and/or scientific knowledge in helping/informing people in your family and/or your community and/or how different was your behavior and attitudes than the others (non-microbiology/molecular biology people) around you during the COVID-19 pandemics and the lockdown period.

Answer 1

Infectious diseases always have a way of how they enter their host and infect the host. Knowing this entry point of covid 19 was the first step to device our behaviour during the lockdown. As the virus has an entry point through the respiratory tract, it was essential that this entry points were always protected. Hence the usage of masks was mandatory. As a microbiologist, the way of disinfection of virus on the surfaces was done by sodium hypochlorite solution or by soap solution as the sodium hypochlorite kills by generating the radicals and soap solution dissolves the lipid layer of the virus. Basic sanitisation was required regularly when we were going outside and came into contact with unknown persons. The food and regular groceries were kept in soap solution if they were in plastic packaging, or if it was not possible, it was placed in salt water solution and then our hands were sanitised. My behaviour from other people was different as I knew the exact measures that need to be taken. Some non microbiologists wear masks even inside a car with closed windows and sometimes the fruits and vegetables were washed with sanitiser. These things were unnecessary when viewed through microbiologist aspect. Hence the knowledge of basic microbiology techniques helped to and is helping to survive this lockdown state.

If you have any questions kindly comment before giving thumbs up. Thank you.