Nottingham.- Fear of the unknown is natural. In fact it constitutes one of the instincts to which we owe our survival as individuals. Darkness, a shadow, or an unexpected noise. Anything that scares us, alerts us or generates fear accelerates our heartbeats. Today there is a terror unleashed and justified to something that as a species has surpassed us. A hitherto unknown danger, an invisible danger: the Coronavirus.
We list unpronounceable names of microbes, viruses and bacteria imperceptible to the human eye, some innocuous and others lethal and virulent, with the ability to infect and cause death to people is COVID19. A virus that experts say is highly contagious, but not as deadly as the flu. However, multidisciplinary fields such as: biomedicine, epidemiology, genetics, pharmacology and virology will shed light on the causes, reasons and motives of this new biological host; a deadly threat.
As its expansion continues across almost the entire planet, multiple research teams from around the world are studying the development of an effective vaccine that protects or mitigates its exponential contagion. Scientists from different countries are looking for a formula, against the clock, to stop the pandemic, while nations adopt measures. But, it is worth asking: why hasn't that vaccine been obtained yet? Complex research or slowed down for some specific reason? The community of experts has been working tirelessly on the elaboration of this since January 10, 2020. But: why haven't the most prestigious researchers from all over the world been locked in the same laboratory? Why not join forces? What economic interests are behind it?
In previous coronavirus crises, such as SARS and MERS, the scientific community did not find a vaccine before the end of the epidemics. This time, will researchers be able to win this race? It is an apparently unequal challenge. Since this new virus was discovered in Wuhan, central China, in December last year, the number of victims of the epidemic has spread exponentially. And, due to its behavior, high infection rate and high mortality, a marathon has been unleashed to discover the vaccine against this qualified pandemic.
Researchers, university students and pharmaceutical laboratories have mobilized across the planet since January 2020, the date on which Chinese scientists publicly announced the epidemiological outbreak affecting their country. While some compete to be more powerful than others in this quest, many ordinary citizens, we have survived and we will survive, other epidemics and pandemics that, according to many experts, could be created by the great powers to show themselves as " the saviors ”, to later launch a formula on the market. Are we talking then about a biological war or conspiracy?
Whether it is China, the United States (USA) or the European Union (EU) or any of the many other countries in which the research is being carried out, the truth is that there is still a long way to go for vaccines to be in the market. It is clear that the scene of this pandemic is unprecedented today, so times have accelerated and protocols are rushing. Scientists resort to testing formulas rapidly in humans and processes are rethought or reoriented. Amid all this chaos, the World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it is coordinating efforts to develop a vaccine to prevent and treat COVID-19. Good news.
In resume, there is still no treatment. However, those affected must receive medical attention to relieve symptoms. People with severe cases of the disease should be hospitalized. Meanwhile, health service collapses; the system breaks. For now, the measures are confinement and the most effective recommendations to protect oneself and others against COVID-19 are: wash your hands frequently and well, cover your mouth with your elbow or with a tissue when you cough and keep a distance of at least 1 meter (3 feet) from people who cough or sneeze ... Well those well-known recommendations about what can I do to protect myself and prevent the spread of the disease? It is no less surprising that in the 21st century, with the technological level that the human species has reached, we live a situation almost like a science fiction film script. While in China announced yesterday March 19 its first day without local infections, after more than three months, despite restrictive and containment measures, in many countries our authorities alert us that the worst is yet to come.