In 2020, if a person contracted covid 19, they’d spread it to two or three other people on average. Those people would spread to other two or three people, and so on. In one year, this virus killed over two million people worldwide.
Vaccines aren’t the problem. New technologies have brought us effective and safe vaccines in a limited time. But the issue with covid 19 is the way it spreads, as the person infected with covid 19 can be contagious even before showing any symptoms. Thus, making it harder to effectively trace something that can’t be seen, or isolate an individual who doesn’t even realize that they’re sick.
Many countries have taken a nationalist approach, from the beginning of the pandemic, some countries banned exports of protective gear, others restricted the export of vital drugs. In a September meeting, the UN Secretary-general said, “The pandemic is a clear test of international cooperation-a test we have essentially failed.”
Even if vaccines become available, richer countries are buying up the supply, leaving poorer nations behind, giving rise to a greater issue. Leaving the virus to spread unchecked in these other places gives it more time to spread, which increases the chance of mutation of the virus. Variations and new strains of the virus have already emerged.
All in all, it’s pretty intractable to completely eliminate Covid-19.
What’s the plan then?
Vaccination and management to the point it becomes manageable enough with an annual vaccine. As more adults and vulnerable populations build immunity, it’s possible this situation will become “endemic”: always around but rarely developing into anything more than a common cold.
Covid-19 is a reminder of what we’re capable of as a society, moreover a warning. It’s far from the worst disease that we have come across as this pandemic showed us that we’re not ready for something worse.
Text by: Ipsita Ghosh, IBTN9
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