As part of the cultural season of the Environmental Research Center

Assist. Prof. Dr. Azhar Mahmood Haleem-lecturer in the Department of Environmental Technology-ERC presented a lecture online using the ZOOM platform on Tuesday, 5/5/2020 at 12:30 pm entitled “COVID-19 Epidemiology, Pathophysiology and, Vaccination”. The lecturer started generally with primlinary introduction to virology in terms of the most important morphological, chemical properties, strengths and weaknesses of viruses. In addition to their ability, in particular, to cause a variety of epidemics such as poliovirus, measles and smallpox. Furthermore, the serious epidemics that infected the world during the past twenty years due to the coronary family of these viruses where they started from SARS-2002, passing through MERS-2012 and most recently COVID-19. The last type caused the infection of nearly 3.5M people in 187 countries around the world and the death of nearly 2.5K people, and yet it has been still continuing killing the lives and spreading the terror in different societies.

The most important epidemiological features, methods of infection and prevalence rates of this virus have been clarified and compared with other epidemics such as influenza. In addition, the mechanism of its entry into the body and then its impact on it as the host and then causing the death of it was considered.

The lecturer recommended that the development processes of effective vaccines should be continued to reduce infection with this virus by investing the positive role playing by the World Health Organization (WHO) in this regard in providing all requirements in terms of material and technical support and encouraging the directions of research during this critical period.

On behalf of the president of University of Technology-UOT (Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Gaban) and the direct supervision by Prof. Dr. Abdullhamed Al-Obaidy who is the director of Environmental Research Center (ERC)-UOT, the ERC held in cooperation with the Nutrition Research Institute-Public Health Directorate-Ministry of Health and Environment a scientific symposium online using the ZOOM platform entitled (Coronavirus Disease and Enhancing Immunity for Health Sustainability) on 19/6/2020 at 9.00 p.m. This symposium was electronically managed by Dr. Mukheled Hussien (head of scientific activity committee-ERC) as a coordinator with the assistance of Dr. Muhammed Taha and Mrs. Zahraa Farhan (lecturers-ERC).

An inaugural talk was started by the President of UOT who stated the importance of carrying out this symposium at the current circumstances in terms of Coronavirus pandemic, which represents a major challenge at the global and regional levels. Then, the second talk was started by the vice chancellor for scientific and postgraduate affairs (Prof. Dr. Alaa Abdulhasan) who stated the important role for cooperation between official institutions in spreading health and environmental awareness to protection of the Iraqi citizen as an intended target.

After that the first lecturer, Dr. Abdul-Hameed Salim Barrak (M.B.Ch.B, Nutrition Research Institute) gave a lecture within the first part of this symposium under the title "What is Corona’s Disease".

The lecturer clarified the nature and characteristics of coronavirus, methods of infection, the epidemiological map of this disease, the reasons for the continuous increase in the rates of infection for all Iraqi governorates and the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Environment at the current time. Also, he showed the efforts and recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the scientific efforts by all countries in the world to manufacture a successful vaccine against this virus. At the end of lecture, he pointed out that there has not been yet any vaccine that has proven its effectiveness against this virus in practical application. Therefore, the most effective solution to deal with it is to follow preventive measures to prevent infection and its spread. Finally, he recommended that the necessity of scientific cooperation between the different countries of the world and consolidating the efforts and solid scientific research in finding an effective vaccine in the future.

While the second lecturer Assist. Prof. Basim H. Faraj (lecturer in the Department of Sustainable Development-ERC) gave a lecture within the second part under the title "Covid 19 and Enhancing the Immune System". He discussed the importance of enhancing immune methods naturally, and thus playing a positive constructive role in the face of Coronavirus. He clarified that healthy nutrition depending on specific types of food and following a healthy lifestyle play a vital role in enhancing the natural immunity of human.

After the end of lectures, the President of UOT acknowledged clearly the efforts made in organizing and managing this symposium by the ERC, the scientific content of these lectures and lecturers. After that, the vice chancellor for scientific and postgraduate affairs expressed his admiration for the scientific content of this symposium in terms of significant information presented by the lecturers and also acknowledged the academic staff of the ERC in organizing this event.

Finally, the participants from inside and outside Iraq were allowed to discuss, express opinions and dialogue with the lecturers, which finally led to establish a set of recommendations. These recommendations will be actively considered and announced later.

In conclusion, the Director of ERC expressed his sincere gratitude to the President of UOT, the vice chancellor for scientific and postgraduate affairs and all participants for attending in this symposium.