Rethinking needed for herd immunity against COVID-19. Image Courtesy – MDPI
A rethinking is needed to achieve herd immunity against COVID-19. Meanwhile, Immunization is in full swing around the world, and multiple vaccines have come to society. But, the big question is – what will be the situation after six months or one year? Shall we be able to get back to our pre-covid life? Everybody is looking at this point. There are various discussions going on about whether Coronavirus will leave at the end of 2021 or not.
Different scientists have different opinions. Michael Osterholm, Director, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that good news has not been available right now. On the contrary, the rate at which people have started communicating with each other in society is likely to increase the rate of COVID-19 infection in the next six months.
Michael Osterholm is an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota. He is also a health adviser to US President Joe Biden. He says the offices are opening, the schools, colleges are opening, and the people-to-people interaction is growing more and more. Many people do not follow the COVID rules also. Many people even think that it is safe after getting vaccinated. So they are becoming reckless in following COVID protocols.
These various issues can increase the coronavirus infection curve in the next winter. The possibility of a new wave of infection is also strong. If gatherings of the people cannot be stopped, the virus may return in winter.
Scientists say mutations in the virus are very important. In the case of the COVID-19 virus, this factor is much more alarming. In fact, coronavirus is not new it has prevailed in the past. Diseases such as cough and cold are caused by infections by several species of this virus.
Read: A Third Booster Dose of Covid vaccine needed within 12 months
Genetic mutations are occurring frequently in the SARS-COV-2 that has now spread around the world. That is why so many new species of the virus are coming. There is a possibility of the third or fourth or fifth wave with other variants.
Some countries in the world have just crossed several waves of COVID-19. It is generally heard that the virus’s ability to transmit decreases with each wave. Viral strains tend to be weaker.
The scientists say that if the death rate in a wave increases drastically, and it is due to a new virus species, then it must be understood that the virus has changed the structure of its genes again. These mutations happen in a random way.
It is a matter of fact that those who have been vaccinated or already had the infection are unable to contract and spread the virus, or you can say they can spread the virus at a lower rate unlikely the unvaccinated people. The vaccines also are very much effective in preventing symptomatic disease. But it is still not clear whether the vaccines are protective from becoming infected or from spreading the virus to others. So, until and unless every single person of a country is vaccinated, there will be a chance of spreading the infection.
We are still very far to reach the level of herd immunity. It has several reasons also. The rate of infection will increase several times and in several places. On the other hand, it will remain lower than the alarming stage in some places. This kind of situation may continue for several years.
The young children, and also the new children born every day – are susceptible to COVID-19 infection. Until and unless we receive vaccines that are approved for newborn babies to aged people, there will be chances for ongoing transmission of the COVID-19 virus in kids. Once the kids get infected, they will automatically infect the adults who usually take care of them. Especially, the adults who are still not vaccinated – will be infected very fast.
The vaccines for COVID-19 are very much effective to reduce the risk of infection, but nobody can guaranty that the chance of infection will be zero percent. People who have received a double-doze of a vaccine can still become infected by a new strain of COVID-19. Even those who have got COVID-19 infection earlier can get it again. That means, we still need a higher level of protection against COVID-19 to achieve herd immunity.
