Year 2020 tested our patience, grit and resilience in battling the havoc brought about by pandemic. We never imagined experiencing it, ever, and sadly, we were not prepared to maneuver through it. It did not spare anyone as young and old, rich and poor, all face the same threat of coronavirus disease 2019.
As we go on managing our daily lives this 2021, we are seeing light at the end of this darkest moment where millions of lives are gone. Vaccines are rolled-out, but there are still a lot of people who are not convinced to have themselves inoculated. The main reason of not wanting the vaccine is mainly fear of having potential side effects and adverse effects. Plus, the proliferation of fake news or misinformation that spread like wildfire, health regulators will surely face the conundrum of successfully vaccinating majority of the people.
Do we really need COVID-19 vaccine? For me, yes. But before you have yourself vaccinated, read about the vaccine and its maker. It’s better that you read the facts first than simply relying from social media posts. Regardless of the manufacturer, the point of comparison as always is its efficacy rate and the post-trial reports publishing online. On top of these, COVID-19 vaccine is for your personal protection from getting severe case of the disease. As per published scientific studies, vaccinated individuals will still acquire COVID-19 and could still transmit the virus, but will not succumb from it. After getting the vaccine, you will still maintain the required healthcare guidelines in preventing transmission of the disease.
Some countries are experiencing second wave while others are pushing for lockdowns again. Could lockdown be of help? Yes, especially in the healthcare sectors who are running out of resources, whose nurses and doctors are working tirelessly, greatly exposing themselves to the virus. Increasing cases are attributed by the attitude of people who do not follow the guidelines, such as failure to wear masks, maintain social distancing and not frequently handwashing or using hand sanitizer.
The emotional and mental stress due to this pandemic is insurmountable. We are bombarded by a lot of information that we still don’t know if they are true or not. And we are quick to share and use them to justify our beliefs and opinions without us thinking that they might harm other people. Misinformation is harmful indeed especially in this darkest moment of the human history. Thankfully, because of existing modern healthcare management, the death toll due to COVID-19 compared to Spanish Flu is far lesser.
We are still hoping, believing that soon, this pandemic will be over. But the question is when? The answer will rely upon us, how we, humans, continue to be proactive in preventing contracting and transmitting SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19.
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