The deadly coronavirus which has killed more than 10,000 people has affected more than 2,00,000 around the world. The outbreak which started in December in China has spread all over the world affecting 146 countries. But when will the outbreak end? China has controlled the virus to the extent that there were no new cases reported yesterday. But experts say that the impact which the virus has created will have permanent changes in our society and economy.
The end will be very far since its difficult for the world to get back to its normal state after all the shutdowns and curfews.
There can be three ways to help us get out of this mess:
1) Developing a Vaccine
2) Natural immunity through infection
3) Behavioral and social changes
Developing a Vaccine:
Till now there has been no vaccination found for the Coronavirus but all the countries including the scientists from WHO are working day and night examining the virus to find a vaccine.
If the vaccine is found and is injected to 60% of the population then there will be no outbreak and the spread can be relatively minimized. Most of the scientists say that it may require 12-18 months to develop a complete vaccine for the virus.
There have been many vaccines under development and many tests are being done but no one is sure whether it will be successful.
Natural immunity through infection:
Once the virus is cured of a person then the body becomes immune to that virus for a particular period. So if there is a particular group or community which gets cured of the virus and there might be a possibility of herd immunity which will take years to develop.
Behavioral and social changes:
The third option is to bring permanent changes to society like continuous testing like what South Korea did after the outbreak. Korea tested nearly 10,000 people every day to control the breakdown and it is still on process. Isolation of patients is also the best way to stop the spread.
Experts say only developing a vaccine will control the outbreak of the virus. Increasing beds in the hospitals, keeping things ready for large scale damage can help to contain the virus within a certain area.