Virus Pandemic, Dentistry and the Global Scientific Order
Authors:   Department of Prosthodontics and Implantology, Ragas Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, India, H Prof. Ramakrishnan 
Published: May 2021

The world had changed. This opening dialogue was actually from the Oscar award winning movie, The Lord of the Rings Part 1. In reality, starting 2020 the same dialogue became the mouthpiece for the common man, kids, students, virologists, healthcare officials that includes doctors, nurses, and therapists, lawmakers, leaders across the globe. Yes, we are in 2021 but the scars of this pandemic left behind in the minds of each and every individual is yet to heal. There are nearly half dozen theories put forth in the last one year for possible origins of this deadly virus by various virologists and WHO [1] officials who recently visited the Wuhan city, in Hubei province of central China, from where the viral pandemic actually began. This is a basic fundamental truth, which no scientist can deny. But the fact of the matter is the open letter [2] signed by 26 scientists across the globe including one from my country, where the scientists had clearly mentioned the shortcomings encountered during their current investigation and had also explained the requirements still needed for fair, open, transparent probe. The investigators had no access to critical and sensitive information including the old initial positive patient samples of Wuhan virus. The reasons for these hurdles are quite obvious. WHO had scrapped plans of tabling interim report on the origins of this virus [3]. The single most mind throbbing question is whether this Pandemic was indeed an avoidable or at least preventable in the very early stages, from global spread if air travel could had been brought under tremendous restrictions across the globe, given the fact there was unrestricted, usual type of travel observed in early first quarter of 2020. The current global spread had been directly attributed to the lack of dissemination of evolving scientific information from local authorities of Wuhan city and from the top leadership of China at that point of time. At this point I am reminded of the information on pandemic systemic failure across the globe [4]. Another recent information I came across was, about a poll conducted across scientific community where they had indicated the current pandemic most likely to exist as an endemic [5]. Recently a study published in PLOS Biology journal explains the fact that after assessment of over a thousand genomic sequences of the COVID viruses, authors had clearly stated properties acquired by this virus have evolved in bats prior to spillover to humans [6]. Dentistry remains one of the worst hit field across the globe because of the droplet mode of spread of the virus which was acknowledged by WHO in first half of 2020 [7]. Nevertheless after evolving evidences on aseptic clinical practices and their role in dental practice coupled with patient selection criterias, currently the situation in dental treatment has changed from psychological fear to evidence based [8-16]. The world woke up after the rude shock of tsunami in 2004, and subsequently it led to the establishement of tsunami warning systems. Similarly, this current pandemic had shaken the globe and had brought about the need to have a global surveillance mechanism or a system to monitor the spread of new forms of viruses from any part of the world. All wet markets across the globe, animal farm houses, mountains harbouring bats should be under biotechnology driven scientific scrutiny. Hoping that to happen soon, it should become a reality. Please do remember that currently our earth is the only viable planet for human life, in our entire solar syatem and in our milky way galaxy. High time, to decontaminate various pollutants including this pandemic biothreat and for that to happen, world countries need to become really serious about their national health policies. This pandemic had indeed given a lesson for all of us to learn on management of Public health crisis [17]. Former WHO director general had also explained on four points for dealing with resolving of global health crisis [18]. Better late than never. Let us save our planet and the future generations.