Author: Zac Ch’ng, Nutritionist
According to BBC News on 20th July, World Health Organization announced more than 185 million people have been infected with the virus, causing 4 million deaths. People hope that vaccination can return the world to a certain state of normalcy but scientists are increasingly convinced that the new coronavirus will continue to exist.
David Heymann, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, has commented that the vaccines we are using now cannot prevent infection in some cases. They just ease the infection and make the disease less serious.
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom, went one step further. He believes that the vaccine will not prevent us from contracting the coronavirus in the future. In his opinion, for the rest of our lives, we will inevitably get infected with it again and again, regardless of whether we have a vaccine or not.
Scientists predict and politicians hope that the coronavirus will become like influenza virus that eventually under control by means of it is predicted to cause the common cold that lead to 290,000 and 650,000 people death year. In this case, the virus will continue to exist, but people have developed a certain degree of immunity to it through vaccination and natural infection. The problem here is that we still don’t know if this virus will really be like this. Professor Hyman called the coronavirus “very unstable.” “When this virus replicates in human cells, it mutates from time to time.
From an evolutionary perspective, viruses need to mutate to spread to more people. A successful virus is easier to spread, as explained Trudy Lang, professor of global health at the University of Oxford. As we know, there have been at least four major variants of the new coronavirus, including the highly contagious Delta virus, which was originally discovered in India and is currently the main cause of the surge in cases in Europe, Asia and the United States. The National Institutes of Health has started a clinical trial for fully vaccinated people to study whether the booster injection will increase antibodies and prolong protection. The reality is that scientists still don’t know how long the immunity of the new crown vaccine will last.
Thus, what are the things we can do to protect our self? Scientists all support the use of masks to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. The use of masks is common in some Asian countries, but some people think it depends on the individual, it is advised to wear a mask as a sign of politeness, especially on public transportation or crowded places.
Next, nearly 90% of immunologists, virologists and health experts around the world suggest that we keep out immune system strong as immunity is the only “weapon” for the prevention and best protect from COVID-19, it is the final way we can coexist with coronavirus, because immunity is our only and the best doctor we can count on. Thus, keeping immunity at optimal level is the subject that we need to strive for now and future. Ensuring a balanced nutritious diet, taking immune-enhancing supplements, a positive mental state, and regular physical exercise are the keys towards optimal immunity.