Getting Technical
CHARLES NICOLSON
Charles Nicolson has a physics and chemistry degree from Natal University which he subsequently put to
good use by applying speciality chemicals in mining and industrial processes where water is a major factor.
This created an enduring interest in water technology, a passion that expanded to the HVAC industry
in 1984 when he joined BHT Water Treatment. Since then, water technology in HVAC water circuits has
continued to be an abiding interest.
THE ORIGIN OF COVID-19
– WHERE DID IT COME FROM?
By Charles Nicolson
The previous article published in the August issue of RACA referred
to the recently discovered Corona D-19 virus which has dominated
headlines worldwide since the end of January this year when it began
to spread out from China causing epidemic levels of infections in many
countries.
Coronaviruses are, in fact, a large family of viruses which
are the cause of respiratory infections ranging from the
common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East
Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome (SARS).
FDA ida gov
Figure 2: Human
Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
FDA ida gov
(a)
(b)
Figure 1: Images of two types of Corona viruses.
Covid-19 is image (a)
Another widespread corona-type viral disease is AIDS
(acquired immune deficiency syndrome) which often
develops relatively soon after infections by HIV (human
immunodeficiency virus) although it may remain dormant
within a human body and only become active after many
years. In common with almost all diseases caused by viruses,
there is not yet a cure, as such, for AIDS. However, treatment
programmes with suitable vaccines can substantially reduce
the progress of the disease and also prevent subsequent
complications from developing.
Now that the newest coronavirus disease, referred to as
Covid-19, has become a world-wide addition to all the other
coronavirus type infections, it is expected that the primary
countermeasures against attacks by Covid-19 will continue to
depend on keeping new infections as low as possible until an
effective and safe vaccine has been developed and put into
production. At the time of writing, progress in both testing
and manufacturing various types of vaccines is reportedly
advancing at unprecedented rates due to world-wide
international collaboration and cooperation which includes
China, the UK and the US.
There are currently ten experimental vaccines undergoing
field trials and several more types are expected to become
available for trials after initial laboratory testing has been
completed. However, vaccines are essentially defensive agents
which interfere with the mechanisms by which viruses enter and
react with animal and human cells. Vaccines will help to limit total
numbers of Covid-19 by preventing transmission and spreading
40
RACA Journal I September 2020
www.hvacronline.co.za