COVID-19: Current Situation
It has been about 6 months since my last post on COVID-19 (since last October 2020) and a bit more than 1 year since my first post on COVID-19 (back in February 2020). And looking at the situation now, it seems that nothing much has changed since then.
In fact, and despite the arrival and availability of the vaccines, which have created positive momentum and gave hope to people, patience is still required to see clear and significant results, as the situation seems much "worst" now in some countries than it was back then, about a year ago, in many ways.
Worst, as COVID-19 is still spreading everywhere with several variants (mutations) that are not necessarily more dangerous or more virulent (although it seems to be the case for some of them, even scientists and specialists are still divided and debating on the matter), yet these variants are as infectious, lethal and even deadlier, as they are more resistant to the vaccines, and consequently, spread and infect even faster than the original one.
Worst, as, the poor management, miscommunication, misdecision and mishandling of the crisis by the governments of some (most?) countries around the world, more especially in the "Western World", as led to catastrophic consequences: like job loss, and thus unemployment, business closures, social, economic and financial struggles, leaving more and more people with difficulties to make ends meet, put food on the table, pay their bills or even pay their rent.
Worst, as some people were (still are) forced to leave their home, having no other choice but to regroup with other family members or friends to survive. Some even have to live in their car or in shelters, eating with food tickets, relying solely on local and governmental help. In some neighbourhoods, people volunteer to help to prepare, distribute and even deliver food, water and materials to those who have none. Even some students are now struggling to eat daily, and also have to rely on food distribution, as they cannot go back home or find a small job to sustain themselves and their daily routine, in order to survive.
In some countries, (and not only the ones part of what we call the "3rd world"), the situation is so desperate, people can only rely on specific organisations like UNICEF and other NGOs, which are already struggling to stay afloat, while trying to help people, everywhere in the world, who have been affected, one way or another, either by the Covid-19 pandemic and/or by other supposedly "natural" disasters (mostly due to recurring human's activities, resulting in ongoing climate changes).
Worst as the lassitude of this situation led to physical and mental tiredness, psychological, emotional and social issues, depression, anger, loneliness, solitude, social distanciation, attitudes, incomprehension, burn out, etc, etc... unavoidably resulting in the rise of domestic situations and problems, in addition to the rise of alcohol and drugs consumptions, mainly due to the stress, anxiety, doubts and uncertainty created by the repeated confinements, lack of interactions with others, job loss, unemployment and financial issues, amongst other things.
Worst as more and more people are, (now more than ever), victims of all sorts of domestic violence: physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, spiritual and even cultural, as well as verbal abuse, financial abuse, crimes, hate crimes, extremism, racism, distinction, segregation, stigmatization, delation, vandalism, looting, petty theft, etc...
Worst, because, one year later, most countries still have not yet recovered psychologically, socially, economically and financially. And, if the situation continues at the current pace or worsen, the countries that face the most difficulties, may not be able to recover until at least 2022, or even a few years later, which will be devastating in many ways (socially, economically and financially) and, thus, will impact most people lives and businesses.
Worst, as people now live in fear of tomorrow, not being able to project themselves or plan anything for the near future. Prior to Covid-19, except in countries at war and/or experiencing political and civil unrests, or anything alike, we can say that a large majority of people (in general) were able to project and plan for the next 6-9 months, even to the next year when they could. Yet, one year and a few months later, after the beginning of the pandemic, who is still capable to project or plan that long in advance?
No one really! As it is impossible. Do you know what you will do next week? Or even next month? For most people, the answer is NO! Some people don't even know if they will make it until tomorrow. Most people are now planning daily, weekly if they can, or monthly at the most, and only for those who were (and still are) lucky enough to still have a job and a salary, and managed to keep their overall situation fairly stable amid the pandemic situation.
But, for the others, forget about trying to make plans for the next 3, 6 or even 9 months or even a year, it has become impossible for most people to foresee that far. For most, a few weeks is probably the furthest they can anticipate, as they cannot see past that point, due to the seriousness of the situation they are in. Some families are in dire need, requiring immediate help. Help, which may not even come for some.
Worst, as many businesses had to close and may probably never re-open for a lot of them. In many countries, restaurants, bars, brasseries, cafes, bistros, hotels, night clubs, lounges, cinemas, museums, galleries, theatres, and a lot more of so-called "non-essential" businesses have been closed for, at least, the past 6 months to nearly a year (for some), with no expectation to re-open anytime soon, and no government help either, as it seems that each time a glimpse of silver lining appears, another wave comes, flooding and washing out any hope of things getting better soon.
Worst, as the lassitude of the situation as led to civil and political unrests in many countries, with people ignoring the restrictions and recommendations of wearing a mask, social distancing and avoiding regroupings, by gathering and taking the streets to protest, wanting to be heard and listened to by their governments and politicians, to defend their convictions, their rights, their life.
Worst, as, (talking about life), hospitals are overrun and understaffed, also lacking beds, tools, materials, types of equipment and even manpower, extra staff to help, making the situation really difficult for all the people working on the front line in hospitals, healthcare, care homes, as well as all the other people working in a situation where they are directly exposed to Covid-19.
Worst as most students around the planet, in schools and universities, even those who did not experience a "confinement" Per Se (as they were none in the country they live in, like here, in Hong Kong, for example, where we had no confinement whatsoever, since the beginning of the pandemic), even them, feel like if they did, as they spent already most of the school year 2019-2020 at home, in front of a computer screen, (when or where they had one or could borrow one), doing homeschooling via video conferences, (due to the school closure in relation to the protest in HK between March and Early 2020, then in turn due to the pandemic); and, also spent pretty much 2/3 of the school year 2020-2021 at home too (already, so far), due to COVID-19.
That's a little more than 1 year without going to school, nor being able to properly learn and receive a more interactive, face-to-face, education. The occasional half-day, with a few hours in the morning or the afternoon, of physical courses at school, face-to-face with the teachers, account for less than 25% in terms of days since the school year started in some countries (e.g. most kids here in Hong Kong have only been at school for 29 days - and not the full day, only half-day - out of the roughly 120 school days since the beginning of the school year). The situation is roughly the same everywhere schools have been closed (more or less).
It is dramatic and depressing for everyone, but for these kids, it means being locked at home, in front of a screen, the whole day from 8 am to 4 pm (or even 5 pm for some), with barely any interaction with anyone, as they have to concentrate harder and be more focus if they don't want to miss out on what the teacher says. And don't get me started on the impact this will have on these kids, their social skills as well as their school results. Homeschooling behind a screen will never have the same benefits and results as face-to-face courses and interaction with the other students within a classroom and at recess.
And, that's when and/or if they can follow the courses on-screen, as some family may not have a computer at home necessarily, or maybe only one for 2 or 3 kids sometimes... so, when one of them is using it, the other one have to be on their parent's computer, tablet or phone or their own (if they have one) to be able to follow. And, that is if the internet is working, network lags or disruptions with the wifi or the internet via cable may happen and disrupt the course, which may result into also sending a wrong message to the teacher who may think that the kids are messing around instead of following the course. I mean, all kinds of scenarios are imaginable and plausible.
For some family, this situation with homeschooling has been very disruptive for their marital, social and work life, as it necessitates different parental organisations in order to have an adult staying at home to take care of the kids during the day. People with a good work situation, high salary, flexible time and even a "helper" at home have no problem dealing with it, and the pandemic situation may only have had a limited or insignificant impact on their home and family routines.
But for the others, it means that one of the parents has to stay home, doing telecommuting (teleworking), when or if possible, or even stop working in some case, some deliberately as the salary of the spouse or conjoint is enough to sustain the needs for the entire family, some unintentionally, as they had to quit their job, or worst, lost their job, unfortunately putting the family into financial difficulties and struggles, eventually having a serious impact on the couple relation and/or the marriage stability, as well as the relation with their kids.
Worst, as 1 year later, (to somewhat recap the above), some people still have no job, no money, no purpose, can't make ends meet, can't pay their bills or even their rent, some don't even have a roof above their head anymore... some kids have not been able to go to school for many different reasons, homeschooling is taking a physical and psychological toll on them, even on their parents who have to be more flexible and adjust their daily or weekly workload and working time to accommodate the stressful situation. And many have been separated from their family, friends and loved ones, who either got infected, got physical and psychological complications or even passed away, directly and/or indirectly caused by or resulting from the pandemic situation and its multiple ramifications...
And so on, and so forth...
I could continue to extend this list of "Worst", which is by far non-exhaustive, as many more "Worst" situations could be added to it, but I will stop here as the whole situation is saddening enough already as it is, to not fully elaborate further on it (sigh).
As most countries have been experiencing a resurgence of infected cases over the last few weeks, what seemed like brief appeasement, a few weeks earlier, was in fact only the quiet before the storm. The fact is that the weekly amount of deaths in some countries is staggering (screenshot courtesy of https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/) (*).
COVID-19: ... and Vaccinations
Who would have predicted that "what some people considered" as "it is just a type of flu that will pass"may have lasted that long and may have created such havoc on the whole planet?
Well... to be honest, and in fact, to tell the truth, (and without being a conspiracy theorist or one of those "we told you so"), some scientists, specialists and doctors warned us, from the very early beginning, (back end of January and February 2020), about the fact that the pandemic situation and its consequences might dramatically increase and last much longer than expected (and could cause much more harm it did already back then), especially if not controlled, isolated and eradicated, as soon as possible by the governments taking decisions and actions to prevent and curb the spread.
These same scientists and specialists have also tried to warn us about the fact that creating/finding reliable and efficient vaccines against the virus may also take time (usually a vaccine take, at least, a few years to be ready and approved: between the research, finding, creation, elaboration, animal tests, human tests, administration approval, competent authorities approval, and government approval, then fabrication, commercialization and distribution), and thus may not be available for, at least, another year or even a year and a half (or more depending on the virus evolution and mutations).
But, where they listened to? No. They were laughed at and judged, some were even sentenced and/or revoked. And look at the mess we are in now because of it...
In some countries, it even looked like the governments had adopted a certain, nonchalant "laissez-faire" attitude for months prior to acting accordingly with the gravity of the situation, while the whole world had been made aware of the pandemic since January 22nd 2020. Therefore, they had plenty of time to make decisions and act to minimize the extent of the situation and prevent for it to get even worse in their own respective countries, yet, they didn't...
...therefore, it is not surprising that some people are wondering to whom this whole situation profit the most? And, no wonder either, why and how the whole crisis situation has fueled conspiracy theories to flourish by the thousands within this last year? No wonder either why some people are asking who's to blame? China for being the country where the virus originated from? Or the governments in most countries for not acting as fast and responsibly enough as they should or could have?
Governments, who, instead, delayed their decision making, minimized the real extent of the problem and had tremendous difficulties facing the situation, resulting in the poor management, miscommunication, misdecision and mishandling of the crisis we have all witnessed in most countries around the world within the last 15 months.
Fortunately for these governments, (saved by the gong...), vaccines have arrived and are now available, or are they really?
For various reasons, especially in Europe, it seems that both, the supply of the various vaccines and the starting of the vaccinations process, were not as easy or smooth as expected or planned. And even as of today, with the vaccination campaign in its first 2 weeks for some countries, the vaccination process appears a bit like a failure as vaccines are facing fabrication and distribution difficulties, and some vaccines already showed and/or have been associated with undesirable side effects, complications, sequels and even possibly blood clots causing death.
At least, the news of the arrival and disponibility of the vaccines allowed for the release of some of the tension of these past few months, as well as lowering the pressure felt by some of these governments. Yet, not entirely, or not exactly, as they now face the bewilderment, disappointment, bitterness and even anger of the population in their own respective countries, for both not having enough vaccines available and not supply them quickly enough... (sigh)
This is quite paradoxical and controversial too, knowing that in some countries a large majority of people refused, at first, to get vaccinated and did not want to hear about the vaccines, only to change their mind within the last few weeks and finally accept their fate to get vaccinated for the greater good, to reach "Herd immunity", (for which experts generally agree to estimate between 70% and 85% of the population must be protected to suppress the spread).
And, yet, people are still frustrated and unconvinced as the vaccines are either only available in limited quantities or unavailable for now, due to appointments being difficult to get or batches of vaccines being faulty and removed. Without even getting into the fact that these vaccines do not inspire anyone due to the recent news of being harmful to some or simply inefficient (depending on the age and health status of the person of course).
Fortunately, and to a certain extent, some of the vaccines seem to work and have a certain degree of efficiency against the virus (here again, depending on the age and health status of the person).
Nowadays, a bit more than a year and a few months after the beginning of the pandemic, a few vaccines have been elaborated, accepted and approved by the competent authorities, and vaccination campaigns have now started (in the past few weeks) in most countries. Generating a new silver lining, and psychologically bringing hope for better days ahead.
The following 3 vaccines are the ones provided in Hong Kong, (I listed those particular ones because that's where I live, you may have different ones or under a different name in your own country) (**)
1. The Sinovac Biotech (Hong Kong Limited) CoronaVac vaccine based on an inactivated form of the virus.
2. The Fosun Pharma in collaboration with the German drug manufacturer BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine using mRNA technology.
3. The AstraZeneca in collaboration with the University of Oxford (ChAdOx1 nCoV-19) vaccine using a non-replicating viral vector.
All 3 supposedly efficient between 65 to 90% against the virus, depending on the vaccine, which understandably leaves room for potential contamination even after being vaccinated, and with an efficiency period not exceeding 4-6 months (8 months maximum, here again, depending on the age and health status of the person).
Yet, in Hong Kong, like in many other countries, the 3rd one, AstraZeneca, might have been put aside or stopped (when it will arrive in HK on the 2nd half of 2021), due to the recent concerns triggered by the deaths of a certain amount of people, who died from a subsequent form of thrombosis (A thrombus is a blood clot that forms in a vessel and remains there), which may have been caused or related (or not) to the AstraZeneca vaccine. Research, studies and time will tell.
In any case, what has been felt as miscommunication and misleading information surrounding Astra Zeneca, has accentuated the public disbelief toward the vaccines reliability and efficiency in general, and fueled doubts on the public's opinion regarding this particular vaccine.
These doubts toward the Astra Zeneca were generated by the fact that, as per the press and some scientists, this particular vaccine was not necessarily suited for people age 65 and older, as most clinical trials for this particular vaccine, did not include many people of that particular age and older, leading to no particular research or result for this age range, resulting into the vaccine being recommended to be given to younger people, (i.e 35 to 55). This was a terrible mistake, as the information only transpired late and the vaccine had already been administrated to people 65 and older, with certain pathologies, resulting in major side effects, sequels and even deaths.
However, since some people in the age of 35 to 55, also died from thrombosis shortly after they receive this particular vaccine, it was suggested not to be given to younger people anymore, while further investigation is needed to confirm whether the vaccine could cause thrombosis or not. The more recent info came a few days ago, after a few European countries banned it from their list until the result of the investigation, which came from the WHO (OMS) who said it is ok to give it to people more than 55 years old but not more than 65. Go figure! No wonder people have doubts.
However, even if I don't feel at ease with introducing such thing as a vaccine into my body, as, for now (and like many people), I feel and fear we do not have enough hindsight, perspective and feedbacks to fully comprehend the whole situation and see the extent of the side effects (if any), or evaluate the consequences on the long term, I will still do it and get vaccinated (and I encourage you to do the same if you can).
I will get vaccinated as I feel it is my responsibility to protect my little family, myself and others, and for the world to eventually reach herd immunity at some point soon (hopefully).
It is important, and everyone should do it in my opinion. Yet, how to ask and convince people to introduce a vaccine to their body, when that same vaccine has been produced too hastily and without enough clinical trials (prior to being authorised and released), to consider its consequences in the long term, and no study on the eventual secondary effects, people might be affected with, after getting vaccinated? How?
I will not necessarily fully discuss the quality of the vaccines on this post, yet, just to say a few words on that, recent news on the matter have been quite scary.
Hong Kong just refused a batch of the Pfizer vaccine made in Germany as it was faulty and not good for any use. Apparently, AstraZeneca's data were not given in full prior to the vaccine being accepted and authorised by the competent authorities to be used on people.
Scary, meaning, for example, (as said above), no clinical trials with people over 65 years old, while OMS and some governments are pushing this vaccine to be given to people over 65, while nobody knows what it may do to them. And also, the deaths due to the blood clot situation with people under 45, that may (or may not) be related to the vaccine, and consequently, now, competent authorities and governments are pushing for the vaccine to be used on people between 45 and 65 as apparently there are fewer risks. Scary, right?
I mean all of this, the whole situation is quite scary, as it shows that neither the competent authorities, nor the governments, nor the pharmaceutical/drug companies respectively responsible for the various vaccines, know what are they doing for sure or know anything about the side defects and the consequences of the vaccines... so far...
They might within the next 6-8 months, but as of now, they don't, as most countries have only started their vaccination campaign a few weeks ago, and most people have only received the first dose. Therefore, results (as well as data, studies, comparisons, analyses, etc...) may not come for another few months, probably not until after the summer in my opinion, around the end of October, when the effects of the vaccine will wear out (roughly 6 months after the wave of the 2nd dose would have been administrated to people, if that 2nd dose is given by May 2021 that it is..... (sigh)).
COVID-19: ... so, here is my take on what to expect from the vaccinations and for how long
As I said above, all the currently available vaccines are supposedly efficient between 65 to 90% against the virus, depending on the vaccine, which understandably leaves room for potential contamination even after being vaccinated, and all have an efficiency period which is not exceeding 4-6 months (8 months maximum, here again, depending on the age and health status of the person).
What does it mean concretely? Well, like many people (and this is what I've tried to express in both illustrations above in this post), I feel and I fear that (like HIV/AIDS and other existing and recurrent viruses/diseases), SARS-CoV-2 and its coronavirus disease COVID-19, are HERE TO STAY for a long while and that we may have to get vaccinated EVERY YEAR, (even eventually twice a year).
I really hope not, but the more I discuss with competent people (doctors, nurses, etc...) and the more I read specialized press articles and updates my knowledge by visiting official specialized websites (see below in the Sources and Links), the more I hear that getting vaccinated every year might be an eventuality to be considered very seriously and might be unavoidable anyway, more especially looking at how strong the evolution and more especially the mutations of this virus are.
More especially, when you consider the facts (see details in the websites listed in the Sources and Links below), that:
The virus will continue to mutate, and more variants will be found, as they are expected to occur and even strengthen over time (for example, the British and Brazilian mutations are good examples of the strength of the mutations, and these are only 2 examples amongst hundreds of the other mutations of COVID-19 discovered and identified since January 2020).
Thus, this year vaccines might become rapidly obsolete or inefficient when facing newer, stronger variants, eventually more resistant to this year first type of vaccines.
This year's vaccines only gives immunity for about 4 months, up 6-8 months maximum (depending on the sources*** &****& *****, age and health status of the person)
It is highly suggested to get tested even if you have received the vaccine, as with only 65 to 95% of efficiency, there is still a potential risk of being infected or reinfected (especially with new variants)
The first dose only protects you partially, and you can still get infected,
Then you have to wait for at least 2-3 weeks (15-21 days) to get the second dose (apparently more, in some cases, if unavailable or if persistent side effects from the first dose)
And it takes another few weeks after receiving the second dose to be immuned at around 85-95% efficient against the virus.
Therefore, let's take an example, as I tried to depict it in my last illustration above. I made this illustration, following a discussion with my children's nanny to explain how the vaccine works and how long it will work.
1st dose
Break of 2 to 3 weeks (up to 4 or 5 weeks depending on various factors...) before the second dose. The period during which the body adapts to the vaccine, by building your immune system by creating/producing antibodies, and during which one can still be contaminated. (You might experience mild pain, slight discomfort and eventual side effects if any).
2nd dose (or your first dose if only 1 dose, for some vaccine, like for the Janssen vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, which has also proven to be faulty or have bad side effects, by the way)
Period of 2 to 3 weeks during which the body still adapts to the vaccine, by building your immune system by creating/producing antibodies, and during which one can still be contaminated. (During this period you might also experience mild pain, slight discomfort and eventual side effects if any, yet the sensations are apparently stronger this time if any, depending on a case by case basis)
Immunization: after these past 4 to 6 weeks (up to 8 weeks), your body is supposedly immunized/immuned at about 65 to 95% (depending on the vaccines) against the virus, with a period of effectiveness lasting 4 to 6 months (up to 8 months maximum depending on the vaccine and the health status and conditions of the person, and also the source where you take your info)
Then what? Renewal of the vaccine?
This literally and concretely means if we take a person of my age, (late 40s or any age for that matter), getting the vaccine mid-April (for example):
1st dose: mid-April 2021 (you can still get infected, periodic tests recommended)
2nd dose: mid-May 2021 (you can still get infected, periodic tests recommended)
Immunity: early June 2021 (you can still get infected, periodic tests recommended)
Period of "supposedly" effective 65-90% immunity: early June to November (maybe December) 2021
November (or December) 2021: renewal of the vaccine?
Scary, isn't it? If you did not have a clear picture of and/or for some reason did not realize the above, I hope my illustration and explanations helped and that you do now. As, in the end, and from now on, we might need to be vaccinated once, (for sure), but maybe twice a year, against COVID-19 and its many variants, and that for an indefinite period of time (that could turn to be for the rest of your life like some people do already by taking the vaccine for the flu every year).
So, based on the example above, if you get the vaccine in mid-April 2021, you won't get immuned until early June 2021. That's basically a period of about 6-8 weeks prior to being "immuned", during which you can or could still get infected/contaminated, and during which you should also get tested several times (just in case).
After that, your body should be "immuned" for about 4-6 months (maybe 8 months depending on the source), meaning that it should be able to defend itself against the virus and get rid of it (at least momentarily, as we do not know what may happen in the long term, and re-infection is an eventuality to consider seriously)
Then what? Back to square 1? Another 1st dose? or just another 1 dose only if possible? Every year? Twice a year maybe? Who knows? ...
So far, NOBODY knows for now (only rough estimation and estimated predictions, yet nothing for sure), as our experience with the virus does not go far back enough yet for us to have a complete picture of what we are really facing and for how long and how it will impact and forever change our lives and our ways to live and interact with each other, individually and socially, both publicly and privately, at work, at home, in the street, in public places, etc...
We might have to change all of our habits and routines, and never go back to the same type of life we once knew. As for now, everything is changing in front of our eyes and there is nothing much we can do about it at the moment. I am truly hoping a solution will be found, as, like for everyone else, everywhere around the world, this whole situation has taken a toll on me physically, psychologically, emotionally, financially, socially, sociably, and in so many other ways.
And, that is the reason I wrote this post today, (and all the other posts on the subject I previously wrote on this blog). I needed (and still need) to vent out and let go of my emotions and feelings, try to help myself (and whoever else might be interested) to better understand what is happening and how to physically and psychologically handle it, or at least have a better understanding of it and what is at stake.
For me, it is therapeutic, and it is my way to put the info and facts on the table and explain the whole situation to myself, (and to whoever might be interested too).
For the situation to be clearer in my head, as frankly sometimes I find some of this information (we all have access to), very confusing or even contradicting each other, depending on the site you go to, the TV channels you've watched and/or the source of the info you are reading or listening to.
So, I just wanted to translate the situation and the info that are available, with my words and illustrations to make it simple and accessible (and maybe clearer and informative) for anyone, as I often find the info given on the news and the press lacking simple and clear explanations. I know the facts are changing regularly as things and the whole situation evolve, yet, still, it would be good to have official sites and organizations providing simple and clear facts. However, that is what I try to do with my illustrations and explanations.
All I wrote in this post, even the details of my illustrations, only reflect what you can find and read in/on the official and specialized press, media and websites (those listed in the Sources and Links below). They reflect the sorts of info that are available now. But, be aware that, as time pass by and progress are made in terms of research on the virus and the elaboration of better vaccines, the info available and contained in this post might not be relevant anymore in a few months.
For me, and more especially for my kids, my family, my friends and their family, and all my loved ones, (and all the people of this world for that matter), I continue to hope that things may change for the better and hope for better days might just be around the corner. I mean, don't get me wrong, "around the corner" might not be for another 6-8 months (or even longer), but I'm still strongly hoping it will come this year.
And who knows? Maybe getting vaccinated every year, (maybe twice a year), might become the norm if we want to survive this pandemic, as we might never be able to get rid of the virus (for many different reasons including both the moral and the amoral and immoral ones too...(!)), and if this is the only solution and hope we have, I will take it.
Despite signs of amelioration of the situation due to the administration of the vaccines to a large number of people in some countries, over the past 3-4 weeks, there has also been a resurgence of infected cases in recent weeks in many countries too due to the more resistant variants against which the current vaccines seem partly or fully inefficient.
The fight against the virus is far from being over. And we have yet to witness new mutations of the virus and more importantly the efficiency of the vaccines over the next few months. Remember that summer is coming and everyone is eager to go out freely and enjoy themselves and interact with others.
If a large part of the population has been vaccinated and the vaccines work, prior to the summer months, then we should normally be fine. Yet, if vaccines availability and vaccinations are delayed until June or July, we might not see the expected mass vaccination's results until probably October or November, and we may experience another one or two more waves, more especially with the apparition of strong and vaccines resistant mutations/variants, like those we are currently experiencing (the reason why I put question marks in my illustration and explanations above, as nobody knows really).
Anyhow, let's keep our fingers crossed, let's hope for the best and keep things positive. I have 2 kids and I like to see them grow and me getting older along with them.
At the end of the day, we all have been affected, one way or another, by this pandemic that had, has and continue to have, a strong impact on the way we live, how we work, and even how we consider our relationships with others. At this point, it is fairly easy to assume that our life with COVID-19 is going to be much different than the one we once knew prior to the pandemic, and may never go back to what it once was. Hoping I'm wrong.
In truth, all I'm hoping now is that everything will be done by the competent parties and authorities to make sure that all the governments are making and taking the right decisions and actions to protect the population in their own respective country, and do everything in their power for the situation to be livable and bring back a certain kind of normality (or better for those who suffer) in our life back again. Whatever normality is or could be in your eyes, mind and perspectives?
Meanwhile, be safe and take good care of yourself and your loved ones, and give each other some love, 'cause that's all we got.
Thank you,
Peace!
Domelgabor
Sources and Links
(*) Worldometers Total Infected Cases courtesy of https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
(**) Vaccines types and info on the vaccines available in Hong Kong at https://admedilink.hk/covid-19-vaccine-hong-kong-options-costs/
(***) CDC - Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/safety.html
(****) BMJ - British Medical Journal
(*****) OMS - Organisation Mondiale pour la Santé / WHO - World Health Organisation
Other Sources
The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202103/15/P2021031500626.htm
(!) ...some of you surely understand what I'm trying to say but I won't further extend on this particular side of the subject.
©Domelgabor @domelgabor #domelgabor #covid #covid19 #covid_19 #oneyearlater #pandemic #vaccine #vaccines