Our future with Corona .. 5 steps to coexist with a virus that “won’t go away”



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The Delta strain continues to spread rapidly, and in the face of it, some countries are making closure decisions, but the strategy of general isolation that these countries pursue will not be able to live with it continuously, compared to coexistence with the Corona virus itself.

CNN says, citing experts, that the emerging corona virus may join the other four corona viruses, or it may become an endemic cold virus, which will not go away.

Infectious disease expert Lynsey Marr estimates that in 5 years, “we will have much greater immunity (against the epidemic) whether through vaccination or natural infection.”

This means that we will have to learn to “dance” with the virus, or to cohabit safely with it, according to “CNN”.

balance required

To do this, it is inevitable to find a balance between closure strategies that lead to economic chaos on the one hand, and the rights of individuals on the other hand, as individuals can benefit from all family gatherings, sporting events and arts, travel and indoor dining, provided they are vaccinated and wear gags.

“Let’s be creative in making adjustments in life, rather than preventing everything or allowing nothing,” says Dr Jeremy Faust, emergency doctor at Brigham Hospital.

After having surveyed the opinions of experts in epidemiological preparation, infectious diseases and virology, CNN discussed what to do to coexist with the virus, next fall.

vaccines first

“We need to vaccinate as many people as possible,” says Marr. “I know children under 12 can’t be vaccinated, but when everyone around them is vaccinated, that helps them too. It’s the first thing to do.”

The same is agreed by Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota: “It takes four to six weeks to get full immunity (..) It is very likely that we will see the number of infections is increasing again, whether in the fall or this winter. And the way to reduce that is through vaccination. “

wear masks

Experts stress the importance of masks as important as vaccination, because it has been proven that the variable delta is present in the nose and upper throat of infected people, vaccinated or not. But vaccinators are not easily infected with the highly contagious strain, studies show.

Mar says the masks: “Reduce the amount of virus in the air and help protect yourself from inhaling the virus in the air around you.

“People can spread the virus without any symptoms. Therefore, we need masks so that we can reduce the number of cases.”

We might not need masks all the time, which means using them in the future when needed is like an “umbrella,” and according to Mar: “We may want to use them in certain areas at certain times. of the year when there are outbreaks of colds and flu due to respiratory viruses.

ventilation

Public health experts fear that the fourth wave the United States is crossing may coincide with the reopening of schools and colleges, raising debate over basic public health measures, including the vaccine and masks.

With the spread of the highly contagious Delta strain, children are at great risk, Dr Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, told Fox on Sunday.

In this context, Dr Monica Gandhi, professor of infectious diseases, underlines the importance of wearing masks, especially in schools, as well as “ventilation”.

As for Marr, “We need to focus on improving ventilation inside schools. It can be as simple as opening windows, even opening one or two windows only makes a big difference.”

Faster checks

Faust stresses the importance of doing more rapid tests, called antigen tests, especially with the Delta strain, which makes this type of test particularly important, and explains: “I started to hear about people who tested positive for the test. antigen, and therefore their ability to spread infection without showing symptoms. “

Faust pointed to the notoriety that accompanied rapid tests at the start of the epidemic, even by public health experts themselves, but attributed it to “people not knowing how to use them.”

Risk reassessment

Finally, given the predominance of the delta variable, it’s time to reassess and adjust exposure risks, especially if COVID-19 guidelines are relaxed in late spring and early summer.

For example, Faust says he made two trips to New York in June, adding: “I ate in closed places because the number of infections is low and I am vaccinated.

However, this situation could change with the advent of the fourth wave, and possibly an increase in the number of injuries and deaths.

It should be noted that the Corona virus has caused the death of 4,430,846 people worldwide since the World Health Organization office in China reported the emergence of the disease at the end of December 2019, according to a census carried out. by Agence France-Presse based on official sources Monday at 10:00 GMT.

The United States is the most affected country in terms of deaths (628,303), followed by Brazil with 574,527 deaths, then India with 434,756 deaths, Mexico with 253,155 deaths and Peru with 197,879 deaths .

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