Taking refuge in hope

There’s so much hope riding on a breakthrough for a Covid-19 vaccine that many a people, globally, are giving a short shrift to safety protocols. Are we biding time and expecting a Covid-19 vaccine to be an elixir of sorts, one that will extinguish the virus for good? Surely there is comfort in the rising number of recoveries, but then little attention is being paid to studies suggesting that recovering patients could suffer from various health issues in the long run. Complacency is setting in as blow-by-blow account of successful trials is published in media across the world. What if one shot of vaccine is not be enough to stop reinfection, as some researchers in the UK are saying. A recent community study published by the Imperial College of London is the latest one to note that levels of coronavirus antibodies in people fall ‘rapidly’ after infection, and there is a risk of catching the virus multiple times.

Covid-19 research is debunking myths around the infection, and strongly suggests that we refocus our attention on preventive measures than simply pinning our hopes on a vaccine. The UAE has been running successful trials of vaccines, but at the same time the leadership has been advocating people to abide by safety protocol. His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on Tuesday set an example by opting out of attending a royal wedding. He tweeted: “Protecting the UAE during these challenging times is a shared responsibility. Following precautionary measures during our social events guarantees our safety as a society.” It is true. Are we willing to err on the side of caution, or still take refuge in myths?