(The Kabul Times): Afghanistan’s health officials on Monday confirmed the country’s first case of coronavirus in the western province of Herat, where a state of emergency has since been declared. A 35-year-old person who recently returned from the Iranian city of Qom is the country’s first case. The person’s name and gender have not been revealed, and he or she has since been placed in quarantine. Nearly 80,000 people have been sickened by a coronavirus globally, according to recent estimates. Some 2,600 have died so far. An outbreak of the virus could be detrimental for Afghanistan’s health care system, which has been affected by war and corruption over the years. The Coronavirus outbreak seems to be one of the deadliest diseases in twenty first century. Though the modern world is equipped with advanced technologies, it shortly has infiltrated to more than 30 countries in four continents of the world. Since the emergence of the virus many cities have been quarantined; the world economy stagnated, dozens of flights stopped and panic shortly swept around the world. Since the Afghan healthcare is not that much improved comparing to that of the neighbors and the public health awareness is extremely low in the country; therefore, Afghanistan is extremely vulnerable against the coronavirus. However, the government proceedings were appreciable in the recent days. The Ministry of Health has sent several teams to the airports to control the suspected travelers showing its farther readiness to take necessary health measures against the issue. The government has also held coordination meetings on the fate of Afghan students and citizens in China as well as better preparation for prevention of the virus in the country. The country’s aviation authority has also suspended the flights to China and Iran, land movements to Iran and imports of poultry and eggs from Pakistan and Iran. Meanwhile it is mandatory for all the citizens to help government and the healthcare organs to prevent further spreading of the virus in the country. People’s coordination and cooperation is key to success of the campaign against the virus, else the disease would spread and affect a huge number of the citizens and would bring another catastrophe to the war-torn country which would be difficult to control. As per the health officials, the coronavirus is spread through respiratory vapor, such as when someone sneezes or coughs into the air around you. Influenza viruses and common cold viruses are also spread this way. Therefore, the things that people should do to protect themselves is to practice good personal hygiene. It is important for the international community that must oppose discrimination against people from epidemic-struck regions. The epidemic must not become a new barrier between countries but should be turned into a new bridge across nations. The international community must strengthen the international exchange of experience in epidemic control. There should be more calls for support from the other countries, like the US, the European Union and other developed countries in the provision of medical equipment and supplies, as well as their best practices in epidemic control. Besides taken serious preventive measures, the Afghanistan health officials should also do more to coordinate with other international health organizations to seek ways for tackling of the virus as well as improve the Afghan experiences in fight against the newly emerged disease.