COVID is temporary. That's what governments everywhere are telling us. But what if it isn't? Tom Walkom writes:
In the past, coexistence was the usual human strategy for dealing with epidemics. We could not defeat the Black Plague. But we could learn to live — and die — with it.
Ditto with other plagues, including the deadly disease smallpox.
Then, in the early 19th century, came a breakthrough that enabled us to eventually defeat smallpox — the development of vaccines.
We're hoping vaccination will get us out of this plague. But we have a problem:
There is one problem with vaccination. It does not always keep up with mutation.
By allowing a virus to change ever so slightly, mutation can result in strains that are resistant to available vaccines.
This is particularly true of influenza, which is why the annual flu shot doesn’t always work: sometimes it is directed against the wrong strains.
We still know little about the COVID-19 virus. But one thing that is becoming clear is its ability to mutate into new strains. These strains, such as the variants first reported in England or South Africa, spread more easily than the standard COVID-19 version. There is some evidence that the so-called South African variant is less vulnerable to at least one of the current vaccines.
So what do we do?
First, keep on vaccinating anyway. Vaccination on its own may be insufficient. But it is still necessary if anything is to be accomplished.
Second, prepare for the long haul. If the virus is quickly mutating, then there is no room for colour-coded temporary lockdowns.
We have to be prepared for rapid and permanent change.
And the long haul could be grim:
It’s not enough to close all the barber shops for six weeks. What is needed is a permanent way to let hairdressers work safely.
Similarly, restaurateurs will have to come to terms with the fact that eating out is a luxury the world can no longer afford.
Outdoor patios will not solve their problems. They are being forced back into an older world, where restaurant meals were special and the norm was to eat at home.
That means that we are in for huge changes to the way we live.
Image: tidesgroup.com
2 comments:
The arrival of variants has revealed the benefits and shortcomings of current vaccines.
The shortcomings is that some vaccines may not be particularly effective against variants. The benefits, or good news, is that almost all of these vaccines remain effective in curbing death rates and hospitalization loads. They may not prevent you from a rough ride at home in bed but your chance of surviving is quite high.
Early in the Covid pandemic, Canada's Nobel laureate virologist, the University of Alberta's Michael Houghton said that he expected this Corona virus would require periodic booster shots every few years.
I suspect that's right, Mound. The virus is going to mutate -- for a long time.
Post a Comment