In the Fight against Pandemics, Biosafety is Critical

SARS-CoV-2 virus COVID-19 is among humanity's most dangerous enemies today. Biosecurity is critical in this fight because it is responsible for preventing threats to human health and the environment from exposure to disease-causing biological agents.

WHAT DOES BIOSAFETY MEAN AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Biosafety is a comprehensive and integrated approach to analyzing and controlling relevant risks to human, animal, and plant life and health, as well as associated concerns for the environment," according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

It is founded on an understanding of the crucial links that exist between sectors, as well as the ability for hazards to flow within and between sectors, with system-wide implications."

Because the ultimate goal of biosecurity is to eradicate or reduce biological contamination

There are three key ideas to understand:

Biological hazard: refers to the risk of uncontrolled exposure to disease-causing biological agents.

Biocontainment: refers to the steps taken to keep infectious pathogens from leaking out of laboratories or other sites where they are created.

Bioprotection: refers to a set of policies that govern access to facilities, materials storage, and data and publication procedures in order to decrease the risk of infections and poisons being lost, stolen, misused, or intentionally released.