With the rising number of coronavirus cases in India, everyone has entered panic mode, hoarding face masks and hand sanitisers to better safeguard themselves from the novel coronavirus, (while there are also some who show utter disregard for the severity of the situation and still ignore basic hygiene habits) hoping for the disease to go away soon and normalise the pandemic situation.
But it doesnĄŻt look like itĄŻll happen anytime soon and being cautious might be our only cure for now.?
Our strongest weapon against the COVID-19 will be a vaccine, and several pharmaceutical companies are in the race to find a solution to this, clear human trials and deliver a practical solution to end this.
A brand also has a vaccine ready that it has sent to National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which will begin clinical trials in April, but donĄŻt expect that to come to the market anytime before next year.
However, amidst all this, healthcare professionals around the world are working to contain the spreading of COVID-19, instead of actually curing it.
Today authorities and medical practitioners are asking us to wash our hands more often, cover our mouth and face while sneezing, donĄŻt touch face too often, or if we feel sick, we must administer self-quarantine -- all of these guidelines are our only hope, for now, to control spreading of the coronavirus.
Most doctors say that in case a healthy individual contracts the coronavirus, he/she will experience something not very different from a mild cold/flu. In such a situation, just speak with your doctor, consume meds prescribed by him/her and you should be fine with proper rest and care. In case you experience pneumonia-like symptoms with respect to breathing or youĄŻre over 65 years of age, thatĄŻs when you should ideally be getting admitted to the hospital.
With authorities urging people to not accumulate in mass gatherings or asking them to stay at home when theyĄŻre sick is their way of actually buying time and keeping the situation under control till the vaccine becomes available.
While we all are hopeful that the vaccines will take down the coronavirus and save the planet, we still donĄŻt know how long will they take or their efficacy. We also donĄŻt know what kind of side-effects itĄŻs bringing along with it and whether it could be something that can be adopted by the masses instantly.
Moreover, many experts feel that unlike previous coronaviruses (SARS and MERS) this one has distinct differences and might not fully go away.?
According to Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia UniversityĄŻs Mailman School of Public Health, Ą°I donĄŻt think this virus is going away. I think it will probably recur. We have to be in this one for the long haul.Ąą?
This is because of the complex nature of the virus. But with its strong presence, we can only hope pharmaceutical companies see this as an incentive to make better treatments and vaccines to get rid of it in the long run.?