September 11, 2020 By Brian C. Joondeph, M.D.
COVID-19
is a nasty virus, damaging or killing the unfortunate few who caught it
and became extremely ill. Preferring the elderly and those with
preexisting medical conditions, many died or had their lives and
families upended.
Far
more have been ravaged by the downstream effects of the Wuhan virus -
socioeconomic destruction following the economic shutdown which persists
to this day in many locales as well as delayed or deferred medical care
from a several month-long ban on elective medical care.
Deaths and hospital resource use peaked
in mid-April nationally, with occasional local resurgences, generally
mild and short-lived, yet in September many schools remain closed, large
gatherings prohibited, businesses shuttered, and masks remain the fall
season’s fashion accessory.
There
are only a few ways out of this quagmire. Herd immunity has been the
traditional endpoint for past viral pandemics as it occurs relatively
quickly. Sweden has likely achieved herd immunity without shutting down as did their neighbors.
Israeli Professor Isaac Ben-Israel used statistical analysis demonstrating,
“The spread of COVID-19 peaks after about 40 days and declines to
almost zero after 70 days — no matter where it strikes, and no matter
what measures governments impose to try to thwart it.”
Other
options include therapeutics or a vaccine. Viruses are notoriously
difficult to cure with medications. Vaccines provide varying degrees of
protection against viruses but take many months or years to develop and
earn FDA approval..........To Read More....
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