Course After COVID

Dixya Poudel

When coronavirus was first detected in Wuhan, China, the rest of the world was quite unaware of the mayhem that was about to unfold. In a matter of months, the virus transmitted throughout countries and continents. People started dying of the virus. Soon enough, World Health Organisation (WHO) declared it a global pandemic which is a disease that spreads widely across the world. 

Two years later and it still an ongoing battle in many countries while rearing its head via multiple mutations. Meanwhile in Nepal, the virus cases have increased significantly after having dipped to two digits months ago. And coronavirus cases are on the rise in Nepal due to the contagious BA.5 subvariant even as 2.8 m of the population in Nepal has been vaccinated. Instead of being lax, Nepali citizens ought to be on alert with necessary safety measures. 

While COVID-19 pandemic has made its mark on the world as the most devastating pandemic of 21st century, the history shows that there were other pandemics that were greatly disastrous. The 1918 influenza pandemic also called the Great Influenza epidemic or Spanish flu caused deaths from 17 million to 50 million. However, the numbers could be as high as 100 million which is why it is considered the second deadliest pandemic in history of human civilization. 

And the deadliest pandemic is the Black Death bubonic plague that occurred in the 14th century. As such, it lasted from 1346 till 1353 during which one-third of the populations in Europe lost their lives. Both Great Influenza and Black Death are examples of communicable diseases which are illnesses that are easily transmitted through direct or indirect contact. In case of flu, colds, influenza and respiratory illnesses, the viruses transmit from fomites, close contact and air droplets from coughing or sneezing.

 It seems human beings cannot escape the grips of communicable diseases which cause an alarm that every now and then gets out of hand. For months the streets in most nations had a deserted look due to ensuing lockdowns from 2020 to 2021. People learnt to isolate and quarantine. Hospital beds ran out of space which caused a scare. Those on the frontlines were the tragic victims who died fighting for the service of others. Misinformation spread like the virus itself that led to stigma and discrimination of those who were afflicted.

It was an eerie time as news turned more and more grim each day. And there was a race to develop the vaccination as scientists worldwide worked tirelessly. As such, the past two years should be taken as a caution for upcoming years. The pandemic showed flaws in health care provisions, loopholes in hospital administrations and highlighted the importance of essential workers and the sacrifice of frontline workers. Now that Monkeypox outbreak has spread across countries, the lessons learnt from COVID-19 should be implemented for cautionary measures. 

The future depends on how the world tackles communicable diseases that are likely to transmit across continents. Current pandemic has shown that threat of communicable diseases shouldn’t be taken lightly. Such diseases should be nipped in the bud by strict isolation, quarantine and contact tracing before they escalate out of hand. Further, there should be lesser stigma and disinformation and an increased global awareness, preparedness and cognizance against communicable diseases.