Thompson Reuters reports that the WHO is warning that there is going to be a second peak of COVID-19, and if social distancing guidelines are not followed, it could happen sooner rather than later.
Countries where coronavirus infections are declining could still face an “immediate second peak” if they let up too soon on measures to halt the outbreak, the World Health Organization said on Monday.
The world is still in the middle of the first wave of the coronavirus outbreak, WHO emergencies head Dr Mike Ryan told an online briefing, noting that while cases are declining in many countries they are still increasing in Central and South America, South Asia and Africa.
Ryan said epidemics often come in waves, which means that outbreaks could come back later this year in places where the first wave has subsided. There was also a chance that infection rates could rise again more quickly if measures to halt the first wave were lifted too soon.
“When we speak about a second wave classically what we often mean is there will be a first wave of the disease by itself, and then it recurs months later. And that may be a reality for many countries in a number of months’ time,” Ryan said.
“But we need also to be cognizant of the fact that the disease can jump up at any time. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now it is going to keep going down and we are get a number of months to get ready for a second wave. We may get a second peak in this wave.”
He said countries in Europe and North America should “continue to put in place the public health and social measures, the surveillance measures, the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory and we don’t have an immediate second peak.” (source)
I actually do not agree with this.
I would say that if things continue, there will not be a second peak, but possibly a third, fourth, or even fifth peak. This is because people are going out at a time when the virus is in decline and by re-exposing themselves to infectious conditions, are allowing themselves to get re-infected before the illness has a chance to pass and in doing so makes the pandemic worse than what it needs to be.
Think of it this like being told that one cannot exercise until one’s illness is better. However, as soon as a person starts feeling better but is not fully healed, he immediately goes to the gym and works out hard. There is a strong chance that as a result of his behavior, he is going to get sick again.
This is the frustrating aspect of dealing with this illness, because by refusing to work within the context of the current guidelines, people risk making themselves and others very sick and for no good reason.
What is worth more- “the economy” or your life and those of others?
Think about that, and while doing that, please be smart and minimize the spread of this thing so that life will be able to return to normal ways of social interaction, regardless of what the already wrecked economy well before the virus claims it needs to extract more profit from those who have nothing to feed the insatiable attitudes of those for whom everything is still not enough for them.