Is it too early to predict the end of CoronaVirus?
Around the globe, there are various whispers of the epidemic slowing down in a few weeks. There are even predictions of when this much-dreaded virus will be no more. The fact that there is insufficient information about Covid-19 makes it really hard to know whether the global pandemic has peaked yet. This possibly worst virus of our time may have slowed down in China, where the first cases were reported, but is it really ending soon?
It is now apparent that the pandemic has forced a long list of meetings, events, and gatherings across the globe to either be canceled or postponed. Some of the meetings have been held virtually, thanks to technology, and some sports events played behind closed doors. The organizers of some of the postponed events have used some variables to predict when to reschedule them to. Perhaps they were just being hopeful and had not seen the worst of the pandemic.
The Premier League, EFL and Football Association declared that professional football in England would not resume until April 30, at the earliest. All Scottish football remains suspended until, at the earliest, April 30. The governments of some countries and some organizations have given the pandemic three months. There are so many dates that are relevant to this topic that raises eyebrows, including dates for reopening of schools.
A lot of resources are being directed towards finding more about Covid-19. The more the experts know, the better informed they are. As at the moment, a lot remains speculatory. Based on the figures issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), the curve of infection of the virus globally looks almost vertical at the moment. This curve clearly indicates that the virus may have not peaked yet. How long this trend is going to take, is a matter of wait-and-see for many.
Apart from the curve flattening, there is the other bit of the curve: infections diminishing down to zero. There are reported cases of recovered patients who tested negative in Wuhan, China and got the much-needed all-clear from medics only to test positive again. Therefore, there is a high possibility that you could get reinfected with the virus as there is no proof that the body gets immune to it after the first infection.
Consequently, the curve going down to the bottom, where active cases will have diminished completely, will take even longer than it took for the infections to reach the peak if a cure will not have been not found. There are heightened efforts to contain the novel virus and to minimize its effects across the globe. There are even steps that look optimistic towards finding a cure to Covid-19.
President Donald Trump of the USA touted hydroxychloroquine as a cure for Covid-19. This link, which experts are yet to prove satisfactorily, gave hope to the world since President Trump announced that the anti-malaria drug could be ‘one of the biggest game-changers in the history of medicine.’ With experts warning that this drug, also known as Plaquenil, could be ineffective in the fight against the pandemic, the world has been thrown into further confusion.
3-D X-ray pictures of how the virus destroys the respiratory system reveal how deadly it is. People violating the protocols put down by experts towards the fight against coronavirus, like social distancing, make achieving success in this battle even more difficult to achieve and further prolong the scourge. With the rate of infection as high as the figures are showing, it is safe to say that this is a long-term war.
It is paramount to mention that there are a number of patients who have recovered from the virus, giving hope to those whose cases are still active. Among these Covid-survivors, are really old men and women. This triumph is perfect evidence that the labor of the brave, hardworking health practitioners is bearing fruits.
Despite destroying the economy of the world and causing a global recession, there is hope that this war is going to be won, one country at a time. Before a global number of infections start going down, it could be safer to withhold your next travel plans. Optimism is good. Following the guidelines given and staying safe in the meantime are even better.