Coronavirus, the four lessons to be learned after two years of a pandemic
Now that we have war just around the corner in Europe, Coronavirus news has decreased in intensity. The editions of the news programs and the front pages of the newspapers no longer open with the number of infected or deceased in the day. In some ways it seems that all this nightmare is now behind us. Unfortunately this is not the case. The virus doesn’t care if one country attacks another, it doesn’t care if we think it infects less in summer or more in winter, it spreads democratically in totalitarian or liberal countries and doesn’t care if we believe it reaches us through the bat or the pangolin. Coronavirus is interested in spreading stop and, indeed, it is important to continue to vary precisely to defend against new and increasingly effective vaccines.
Coronavirus, the worst is behind us?
Of course in Italy, one of the most rigorous countries in defense strategy, most people think it is almost all over. After all, no one asks for it anymore, no one feels a fever at the entrance to the premises anymore and then summer is approaching and there is more to think about. But, at the same time, it seems to be upon us also a new Omicron variant. Some ill-thinkers, bringer of doom, are convinced that he could also attack the vaccinated, even those in three doses. Fake news or truth? We will see it. What is certain is that, in China, a few days ago the record of infections in one day was “burned” with over 20,000 infected. 90% of cases in Shanghai, a city of 26 million inhabitants that is slowly becoming a ghost town, where people’s anger is growing at the new lockdowns, quarantines and the difficulties in distributing food in the “red” areas.
Coronavirus, the lessons we should have learned
In this situation, what should we learn from the pandemic? Mainly four lessons. When at the end of 2019 China, in guilty delay, gave the world the first warning signs of pneumonia unknown in Hubei, WHO quickly declared a pandemic. But the first mistakes came from the scientific world. It is true that it was possible to quickly sequence the pathogen, a new Coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2 due to its relationship with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), but in the beginning they were convinced that there could be no human-to-human transmission. Nothing could be more wrong. By the time it was realized, it was too late and the infection had already spread around the world. By the time the mode of transmission was confirmed, it was already overdue, and the virus had started circulating around the world causing two years of pandemic waves. The first lesson to learn, therefore, is to never underestimate the opponent.
Coronavirus, the lockdown of a third of the world
Then, when the free world saw China double-locking the poor Chinese in their cities, it opened its eyes wide in wonder but not too much at such a lockdown. It was said that such a tough measure it was only possible where the dictatorship rules. And instead even this idea, after less than sixty days, “went to the attic” and almost the whole world free (about a third) began to experience the Chinese lockdown. Everyone at home, contingent walks, rationed visits to the supermarket, a life as a recluse. And in any case, the Coronavirus, despite lockdowns, masks, gloves and vaccines, has infected an unimaginable amount of people and has killed over 6 million (although different sources estimate almost triple it). But many deaths, before the arrival of vaccines, were also caused by policies and contrasting strategies different from country to country. From “all free” to “all armored” but with different times that have worsened the situation globally. A second lesson to be learned is thus that in a pandemic it would be essential to all act in the same way and with the same logic. But this, given the egotism of many rulers, could only remain a wish.
Coronavirus, in pandemics we need to believe and rely on science
The third lesson is that, in these cases, only science can defend us and some politicians have done very well, there‘former President Donald Trump in the lead, to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Big Pharma and advanced laboratories. Innovative, safe and effective vaccines have been found in record time. And the vaccines saved humanity. The fourth and final lesson (which in our part of Italy has learned well the Minister of Health Speranza) is not to sing victory too soon. The risk of being proven wrong and making a bad impression with viruses is always upon us. Another example of a premature announcement was that of Spanish President Pedro Sanchez “we have defeated the virus” he said in mid-2020. After that announcement came other waves of infections due to a new variant and almost 80,000 Spaniards died. In conclusion, although now the times are better in the fight against Coronavirus we must not let our guard down yet: masks, gels, attention in crowded places should still survive in our modus vivendi. Until? F.until the pandemic will be a world problem. But now that moment seems not to have come yet.