Why the Coronavirus is Here to Stay

What will it take for us to feel safe again, safe enough to relax social distancing? Several thoughts come to mind, including a covid-19 vaccination, comprehensive testing for infection and antibodies, robust contact tracing, and a health system that can support the inevitable rise for that that will need treatment.

The good news is that more and more coronavirus vaccines are entering the trial phase, and there are predictions that at least one will be readily available for the public within the next twelve to eighteen months.

There is news that antibody tests, which would identify those that were previously infected but recovered, may be available by May 2020.

President Trump leveraged the defense production act (DPA), compelling captains of industry to manufacture much-needed equipment such as masks, respirators, and ventilators. Hopefully, the health infrastructure will be able to support a less overwhelming demand for treatment, if social distancing helps slow the onslaught of the virus.

The bad news is that vaccines don’t have 100% efficacy. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that the flu vaccine works 40 to 60% of the time.

If plans for a coronavirus immunity registry do materialize, we still don’t know whether the presence of antibodies means definitively that the…