Covid-19: How and when will the pandemic end?

Team Udayavani, Mar 30, 2020, 12:58 PM IST

Coronavirus was declared a pandemic, as it has spread significantly worldwide since it first emerged in China in December 2019. As countries and cities continue to enforce social distancing and quarantine, one question is likely on people’s mind i.e. When will this pandemic end?

Well, no one can say for certain. But a few researchers say, one possibility is that cases of the disease will start decreasing when people develop immunity, either through infection or vaccination. Another possible scenario is that the virus will continue to circulate and establish itself as a common respiratory virus.

When people become immune, Coronavirus will lose its infectious grip. Two possible paths to immunity exist, neither of which is guaranteed i.e. Individuals who recover from COVID-19 produce the immune molecules required to fight off the virus. And the other, people become immune by getting vaccinated, and their bodies will recognize and destroy the virus without getting sick.

Not to forget, many COVID-19 vaccines are now in development, but the process may take months or years. In the meantime, it is important to reduce new infections which will give researchers time to develop much-needed treatments and tests.

The first step to achieving this slowdown is social distancing and drastically reducing contact with individuals, in this case by keeping at least six feet away from others.

Another crucial element is testing for Covod-19 infections. Without knowing actual the number of people infected, including those with mild or no symptoms, researchers will not get a good handle on how the pandemic is evolving, or what populations are most at risk.

However, at this point, there are still doubts regarding when and how will the pandemic end. But, according to the researchers, as of now the only way to contain the spread is social distancing and regular testing.