pandemic COVID-19 has turned our lives upside-down. Throughout the year, the condition of the pandemic has worsened. With October approaching we cannot help but wonder if our lives will be the same ever again.
With universities arranging online classes and a plethora of work from home, our lives have taken a huge turn. But no matter how long this pandemic and lockdown exists we are surviving on the hope of freedom someday. Plagues and pandemics are not a new concept to the world and assure the possibility of an end to the current hell we are in.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the pandemic world has crossed 30 million marks and the deaths are around 9,56,881. It has affected 213 nations worldwide, some more harshly hit than the other. India has been hit pretty harshly. Affected cases stand at 5.73M while recovered at 4.67M. Coronavirus in India has cost 91,149 deaths and the situation seems to be going downhill consistently. With the high population density, several areas in India itself is more harshly affected than the other. As for the end of the pandemic, there can be two possible incidents or scenarios which can put an end to end the raging pandemic that stalled our normal lifestyle. Number one, the medical ending and number two, social ending.
The medical ending- Medical ending to the pandemic means the development of an effective and safe vaccine against the virus. pandemic Over 169 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are under development with 26 of these under the human trial phase. World Health Organisation is working in collaboration with scientists,pandemic medical companies and health organizations to speed up the vaccine development procedure. The vaccine is the most powerful weapon that scientists can conjure up against the disease. Once the vaccines are ready for mass vaccination, the rate of infection and the mortality rate will go down at the same time. The factor which might be a little worrying is that a moderately effective vaccine that might actually help to control the pandemic is predicted to be available in the first quarter of 2021. The scientists are hoping for a 75% effective vaccine but 50%-6% effective is acceptable too.
The Social Ending- A group of researchers have come to the conclusion that vaccination is not enough and the most possible ending to the pandemic is through herd immunization. After people are tired of being stuck at home, they might go out and restart a normal life that will pandemic trigger the spread of the disease to the point that most people will be self vaccinated due to infection. But the price of herd immunization lies at the fact that more infection means more deaths before almost all are vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. Between medical ending and social ending, the former is definitely desirable but is not immediately available to us. On the other hand, the social ending might seem more probable considering the current situation and the fact that the disease has been a part of our lives for almost a year now.
Some consider that neither method is enough by itself. Only with mass vaccination by an effective vaccine or herd immunization in areas of the high population as well as maintaining all the social distancing pandemic and hygiene norms can the pandemic be controlled.
