Coronavirus – When and how will the epidemic end?
The question which has been occupying our minds since the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic is simple: when is it going to end? Almost every state on the European continent as well as others outside of it closed down their borders and forced citizens to stay at home in self-quarantine. In some cases, lockdowns, curfews, and other restrictions were introduced. In this situation, is there an end to the epidemic?
Read alsoCoronavirus – When and how will the epidemic end?
Qubit reported that just like the common flu, the SARS and MERS viruses, the novel coronavirus appeared on Earth and will stay till the planet exists. Many research teams are working on an effective vaccine or other cure, but the success is not guaranteed.
The SARS and MERS viruses appeared before the coronavirus, and medicine still does not have a vaccine for them.
If research teams succeeded, the introduction of the vaccine would take one and a half year. Skipping this procedure and testing the cure immediately has too many risks while the coronavirus would have other mutations as well. According to the WHO, the heat cannot stop the disease either.
If one country stopped the virus and there would not be any new infected citizens, it would not mean that we are safe. Until the virus is present in the world, one new infection could have the power to start the epidemic once again.
This would mean the closing of the borders again and doing further tests. The quickest ones currently take two and a half hours, but their reliability is not 100%. The only possible protection is the vaccine: the more people get the vaccine, the more immune they become and will have the ability to protect those who did not get the infection at all.
Currently, Hungary has 2,650 life support systems at hospitals. According to the latest estimations, 5% of the population will need intensive care, which means that with over 60,000 infections, Hungary will lose the capacity to cure patients.
Estimations about when the epidemic is going to end are constant. Some say five to six months, but some experts say one year. Other scientists estimate that after two months, the virus will not disappear, but the strict restrictions can be loosened. Another theory is that if China needed five to six months, Europe will probably need the same amount of time.
With the vaccine, the epidemic can be stopped in 12-18 months.
Featured image: MTI/Balogh Zoltán
Source: www.qubit.hu