The deadly coronavirus pandemic now has over nine million confirmed cases around the world. The recent reports on the efficacy of coronavirus control strategies have shown that measures such as lockdowns have been successful to a significant extent.
Without such preventive measures, the total number of cases would be much higher than it is now. However, in most countries, the pandemic continues to accelerate and affect more and more people.
In fact, the World Health Organization recorded the highest number of coronavirus cases in a single day last Sunday. Around 183,000 people tested positive for the infection in twenty-four hours.
Additionally, there have been 150,000 new cases of coronavirus every day since the past week. This is enough evidence to show that the coronavirus pandemic is far from over. Regardless of the effectiveness of lockdown, the virus continues to spread around the world.
Why is this so? There are multiple reasons why the pandemic continues to accelerate even though the preventive measures have the ability to successfully hinder further coronavirus spread.
The first one is the lack of continuation in following the measures. Many people are no longer following guidelines by health officials after the end of lockdown. For instance, there have been spikes in nearly all states of the United States.
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The primary reason behind the sudden increase in coronavirus cases in the US has been a lack of social distancing. With the reopening of businesses, offices, and schools, people are assuming than the coronavirus is no longer a big threat.
Therefore, the vast majority is no longer wearing masks, avoiding public spaces, or even practicing social distancing. The state of Texas had to close bars for another thirty days after crowds of people swung into them within days of lifting the lockdown.
Social distancing and masks are two of the major steps in stopping coronavirus transmission. Not following either can significantly increase the rate of spread, which is what is happening in the US.
Another factor that is worsening the coronavirus pandemic is the politicization of the health crisis. The Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has already given warnings about the apparent division between countries in response to the pandemic.
For instance, some countries are choosing to impose restrictions instead of being united against the virus. Jair Bolsonaro, who is the president of Brazil, continues to speak against social distancing, stating it to be the reason for lack of jobs and downfalls in the economy.
In the process, the health minister of Brazil has also been fired and many health officials have been fired. The country’s economy is expected to go down by more than six percent even if there is no lockdown.
On the other hand, the president of the US, Donald Trump has also received backlash on his slow and ineffective handling of the pandemic. Just like Brazil, dozens of health officials in the US have lost their jobs, retired early, or resigned.
Ghebreyesus’s warnings are likely to be ineffective if there is a divide in response to coronavirus pandemic. The threat of the coronavirus is clearly far from being over anytime soon.
According to some experts, the virus may have become less deadly. However, the difference is not enough to make a difference in the overall deadly coronavirus pandemic. There is still a need to follow guidelines strictly as well as unite against the health crisis regardless of the fatality of the virus.
