1.   Introduction

As the second pandemic of the 21st century relating to coronaviruses, the current outbreak of novel coronavirus named SARS-CoV-2 by World Health Organization (WHO) has taken the world by storm. From weighing heavily on global healthcare systems and economy, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended the social and economic fabric putting at stake global markets and supply chains let alone the mental and physical health of millions of people across the globe.

Irrespective of their economic standing in the world, all states are dealing with the nuisance of this pandemic either due to disease overburden, fragile healthcare systems, resources-constraints or lack of timely response to the crisis. Notwithstanding, while the North predominantly is bearing the brunt of this pandemic, the South remains susceptible to the viciousness of the disease and its aftermath due to struggling economies and weaker institutions. In the wake of this, United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, has urged nations to work in an integrated and coordinated manner to help the vulnerable countries through financial and technical support.

The crisis has also shaken the timeline of United Nations 2030 Global Agenda unforeseeably. The world, which already was not fully on the track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs) targets, is further derailed amid the pandemic as the resources and attention has been directed towards ousting the virus. This is a wakeup call for nations to reconsider their approaches and strategies and streamline efforts to accelerate progress towards green economy and digital solutions. Along the same vein, scientific tools and methods, innovative approaches, and (digital) technologies have become all the more imperative and indispensable to mitigate the impact and fall-outs of the pandemic on economy, environment and social security.

The race to develop medicines and vaccines to counter coronavirus started as early as January. More than 100 vaccines including 70 backed by WHO are in preclinical phase across the globe; whereas, eight vaccines in China, Germany, United Kingdom and United States, respectively, are undergoing clinical trials. Similarly, scientists across the globe are discovering and synthesizing new compounds with potential anti-viral properties to remediate COVID19 symptoms. COMSATS Member States, i.e., Pakistan and Turkey, have achieved fair progress in this regard. Most of developing countries, including COMSATS’ member states, face yet another unique challenge offering a number of problems and opportunities. Some news included in this page will provide a look at the same.

In addition, COMSATS’ Centres of Excellence have utilized been utilizing their respective strengths in fight against the pandemic to help safeguard their countries’ national interests, as seen from the relevant section of this page. From developing diagnostic and screening tests and designing cost-effective life support machines to manufacturing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and providing humanitarian services, these Centres in 20 countries are playing a pivotal role in the global fight against corona.

Intellectual content of this page also includes articles from COMSATS’ officials, interview(s) from relevant expert(s), and thematic articles from other sources. A look at Corona from sustainable development perspective has also been included among other things. It is hoped to serve as a good repository of information on the pedantic with respect to elements and entities relevant to COMSATS.

2.    Articles and Opinions

• Editorial by Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi
• Interview with Dr. Najeeb Al-Shorbaji, Director of Knowledge, Ethics and Research at WHO Headquarter, Geneva
• COVID-19 Crisis: An Unprecedented push for SDGs Action by Ms. Huma Balouch
• CORONA: Pandemic in Times of Technology and Innovation by Dr. Azeema Fareed

3.   News and Activity

• International Webinar to Highlight Youth’s Role in Combating Corona Pandemic
• Contacts with China and Iran on COVID 19
• COMSATS’ Employees receive preparedness talk on Coronavirus

4.   Corona and Sustainable Development

• Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, SDGs are Even More Relevant Today than Ever Before
• COVID-19 and its impact on achievement of the sustainable development goals
• Why we cannot lose sight of the Sustainable Development Goals during coronavirus
• Amid Coronavirus Pandemic, SDGs are Even More Relevant Today Than Ever Before
• COVID-19 and the SDGs: moving forward after the crisis
• OPINION: Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the SDGs will help us build back better
• Sustainable Development Goals should drive the Covid-19 rebuild
• COVID-19 and the SDGs: moving forward after the crisis
• Three Ways the Coronavirus is Shaping Sustainable Development
• The Coronavirus pandemic and the irrelevance of the SDGs: Time for a new Jubilee

SDG17

• International (development) cooperation in a post-COVID-19 world: a new way of interaction or super-accelerator?
• Covid-19 is an opportunity to reimagine international partnerships
• Only Sustainable Investment & Global Cooperation Can Counter COVID’s Blow to SDGs

SDG1, 2

• COVID-19: food, nutrition and the global poor

SDG13

• Will Covid-19 have a lasting impact on the environment?
• 7 Ways Countries Can Restart Their Economies to Fight Climate Change

SDG2

• COVID-19 — Another wake up call for food security
• We Can Prevent a COVID-19 Hunger Crisis if We Look Back and Learn

SDG4

• What lessons from the coronavirus pandemic will shape the future of education?

SDG6

• Pandemic effect – can we save the SDG on water and sanitation?

SDG7

• The moment of truth for global energy transition is here
• How COVID-19 Could Impact the Clean Energy Transition

SDG8, 10

• COVID-19 heightens the risk of child labour. This is how we can tackle it

SDG15

• The coronavirus threat to wildlife tourism and conservation

SDG 3, 8, 17

• A pandemic gives permission for change

SDG 16

• Could coronavirus lead to a “positive peace”?
• The Coronavirus pandemic and the irrelevance of the SDGs

5.   From the Member States

Bangladesh

• COVID-19 and related Interventions in Bangladesh (May 2021)

China

• Coronavirus: China’s tech fights back

Jordan

• Key interventions made by Jordanian national institutions (May 2021)

Pakistan

• Coronavirus: Pakistan students use AI to speed diagnosis
• Pakistan Established Scientific Task Force on COVID-19 Under Ministry of Science and Technology

Egypt

• Zewail City of Science and Technology introduces new technologies to curb coronavirus

Iran

• Iran Opens New Innovation Center, Unveils 6 Coronavirus-Related Products
• Managing and fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic in Islamic Republic of Iran with the use of emerging technologies (May 2021)

Tunisia

• Covid-19: Tunisia researchers use AI, X-rays to create online virus scan tool

Sri Lanka

• National website for COVID -19 response launched

Senegal

• $1 testing kits: Senegal’s approach to coronavirus

Morocco

• Morocco, EU Discuss Prospects for Post-COVID-19 Partnership

Ghana

• Ghana working on herbal medicine to cure COVID-19
• Speedy drones are helping Ghana test for the novel coronavirus
• Brief on efforts made by Ghana in its fight against COVID-19 (May 2021)

Kazakhstan

• AI to help Kazakhstan fight coronavirus infection

Turkey

• Turkey completes first phase of vaccine efforts

Nigeria

• Efforts made by Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in fighting COVID-19 pandemic (May 2021)
  
  

6.   From the Centres of Excellence

• A Call for Unified National and Global Science and Technology Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Statement of Her Royal Highness Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan issued by the Royal Scientific Society, Jordan
• Eye on Food Safety and another Looking for Coronaviruses in Bats
• Women during the COVID-19 Era: Dr. Nisreen DaifAllah AL-Hmoud

Royal Scientific Society (RSS)

• RSS celebrates 50 years of scientific achievements, continues services through COVID-19 testing
• RSS’ National and Institutional contributions to the COVID-19 pandemic response (May 2021)

Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR)

• BCSIR, Bangladesh’s program of preparing and distributing hand sanitizers free of cost

Embrapa Agrobiologia

• Embrapa laboratories carries out tests to identify Covid-19

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU)

• KazNU: Stop Coronavirus Competition
• KazNU: Special Video Releases: World Experts on COVID-19
• More than 50 undergraduates and doctoral students of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Care of Al-Farabi KazNU helping to fight Corona
• Al-Farabi KazNU Develops antisepticDepartment of Health Policy and Management of Al-Farabi KazNU helped colleagues with masks sewn by their own hands to render all possible help
• COVID-19: Activities of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU), Kazakhstan (May 2021)

International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS)

• ICCBS, Pakistan, Corona Virus Related Initiatives
• ICCBS: Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research Completes Genome Sequencing of Coronavirus from Local Patient
• ICCBS: Dr. Panjwani Center for Molecular Medicine and Drug Research Joins Hands with Indus Hospital to Boost COVID-19 Testing Capacity

Al-Quds University

• Al-Quds University succeeds in producing a home-grown medical ventilator
• AQU’s medical ventilator approved by the Palestinian Standards Institution and the Ministry of Health

Industrial Technology Institute (ITI)

• ITI, Sri Lanka, contribution to fight against COVID 19
• ITI, Sri Lanka, Testing Services and R & D activities to support government & private sector needs to curb COVID-19 Crisis

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK)

• TUBITAK: Turkey’s top scientific body invests TL 2.3 billion on 16 vaccine projects over 5 years
• Project on localization of medical mask filters by TUBITAK, Turkey, Centres
• TUBITAK Contributes to Turkey’s COVID-19 vaccine efforts
• Turkey, third in the world in the Covidien-19 Vaccine Project
• Turkey’s locally made COVID-19 vaccines move to next stage

7.   Important links for data

China National Center for Bioinformation	Novel Coronavirus National Science and Technology Resource Service System	Covid Visualizer