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It's been close to 3 months since Covid-19 has forced us inside our homes and made us stay there! Here a few facts and musings on what it will mean to weather the storm the coronavirus has brought upon us:
The Disease
The main threat of Covid-19 is not just that it kills indiscriminately but it's because of how infectious it is. The novel Coronavirus belongs to the same family of viruses that cause the common cold. The difference is in how much it affects a person - severe respiratory symptoms and in some cases death. A virus survives and is alive only when it is active in a host, meaning that the goal of a virus is to ensure it propagates easily without killing its host outright. It is also worth noting that Covid-19 is a disease that especially affects the elderly and ones with pre-existing respiratory and other adverse health conditions.
The Cure - Vaccine
The main reason you have to be vigilant while Covid-19 is out there is that, without a valid cure, quarantines and lockdowns are preventive measures. It is just to ensure the spread of the virus is slowed down. While there are drugs that lessen the impact of Covid 19 symptoms, currently there is no drug cure for Covid-19. Therefore, a vaccine is the next viable step in eliminating the disease just like the poliovirus. Vaccines work by introducing a weakened form of the pathogen into a person's bloodstream which then generates antibodies to the pathogen. The only chink in this plan is that vaccine development takes years when done right. There has been news of promising results of human vaccine trials in the US and other parts of the world. Even if a reliable vaccine is invented by the end of 2020, there is the challenge of mass production and distribution on a global scale.
The New Normal
The road ahead is not easy but neither is it impossible. Considering how long it will take to eliminate Covid-19 , it is best to adjust to the new normal. This means thorough sanitization and hygiene practices, masking up, social distancing, and keeping the general morale high. The challenges will be using public transportation, cutting down on public gatherings as much as possible, and staying indoors while keeping cabin fever out!
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