Second wave, second lockdown?

The shadow of COVID-19 will always be hanging over our heads, even assuming the country is “in a better place,” so long as the disease continues to survive, lurking in remote places in the world. With some countries reporting a rebound of the disease, a second wave, therefore a second lockdown, is never far from the arsenal of responsible governance. The best approach to a recurrence is “stay home,” mask policy, and physical distancing.

A vaccine would be the only way the country and the rest of the world can return to the “normal,” humanity was accustomed to. The best minds in the medical and scientific field, pharmaceutical companies, and the richest economies on the globe, are scrambling to create a formula that will rid us of this disease. The most optimistic forecast for discovery would be early next year. From discovering a vaccine, to manufacture, to global distribution, then to administering it to a 7.8-billion world population, would take 18 to 36 months.

During the various tests currently ongoing, e.g. 1,600 volunteers to be injected with

COVID to expedite research, enforcement under “relaxed” medical and social quarantines will give rise to a new toll of infections and deaths. Individuals who were formerly not infected, may be unlucky in the second wave. Hence, pro-active measures/reminders must be factored into the psychology of human behavior amidst the reality of human society defaced by this pandemic disease. We are in unchartered waters, and we must think ahead, one step at a time, one victory per scenario.