Dear Editor,rnThe pandemic of COVID-19,a disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2;previously known as 2019-nCoV),has placed an enormous burden on health authorities in 213 countries and territo-ries.At the time of writing,over 26 million cases have been recorded across the world,with more than 870 k associated deaths(www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/).World Bank warns COVID-19 pandemic risks dramatic rise in poverty,with the majority of economies expecting to suffer from falling levels of GDP in 2020.