Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Unanswered questions, lessons learnt and ongoing challenges

The COVID-19 pandemic that impacted all aspects of human life, quite literally cancelled the planet. It was a once-in-a-lifetime nightmare for all of us. It came but can we say that it has gone? What do we know as sure facts about the pandemic, have we learned any lessons and what are the current challenges facing the country in this regard? To begin with, do we actually know even now where and how the virus originated? Why did China and the WHO remain silent for months before the storm hit in March 2020? There has been substantial debate concerning the role of the US Department of Defense and that of Anthony Fauci, the then US President’s Chief Medical Advisor. Did Fauci influence the CIA’s investigation into the origins of COVID-19? While speculations of retro-engineering persist, a consensus scientific opinion points to a natural zoonotic origin for the virus, most likely from a seafood market in Wuhan, China. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and other international organisations are conducting investigations, but convincing evidence is still awaited. In a nutshell, we don’t know. Many Indians were in confusion during the pandemic by the several vaccines being dispensed. Which was more effective, Covaxin or Covishield? Was any internal advice given to the Government of India that the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna were better, despite the fact that they were significantly more expensive and difficult to administer? If this was the case, the government almost surely made the correct decision in choosing Covishield and Covaxin over the American vaccines. Were they motivated by scientific reasons or cost considerations when they took this decision? Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca in the UK, is similar to previous vaccines (like those against smallpox and polio) in that it involves injecting a subdued form of the disease into the subject– Covaxin was the product of a daring, novel strategy from the Indian Council of Medical Research, which has been dramatically depicted in the recently released Vivek Agnihotri film The Vaccine Wars. It is a real representation of Atmanirbhar Bharat, apart from being fine science. However, the last word on mRNA vaccines has yet to be said. The mRNA method is scientifically quite elegant in that the body is persuaded to generate its own virus via ribosomes, which then triggers an autoimmune reaction, leading to protection. The advantage in this is that the immunity is from the whole virus and not just its crown as in the other competitor vaccines. In the fight against COVID-19, it was dubbed a game changer. The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were billed as far superior to other vaccines, but the very high immunity originally touted for them has been significantly scaled down in recent times, as Elon Musk pointed out in a tongue-in-cheek X post a few weeks ago. While we have not been getting frequent booster shots in Bharat, such boosters are constantly being prescribed in America. Why are they doing this? It is intriguing that there have been no major outbreaks of the disease in India in the last year, despite the fact that not many of us have been taking booster shots. To conclude − we don’t know much about the vaccines, and therefore about the disease itself. The many seemingly inexplicable deaths of otherwise fit people from varying age groups due to sudden cardiac arrest have been a perplexing and disturbing post-pandemic occurrence. It is unclear whether there is a link between these deaths and whether or not these individuals got the disease or an asymptomatic version of it. Were they or were they not vaccinated? If so, did they receive, one, two or three shots? In truth no proper scientific study of this puzzling phenomenon has been conducted. Whatever be the causes, the situation is cause for concern. Many people who were affected by the disease have said that their recovery was unusually long in terms of regaining all of their physical capabilities, while others claim that respiratory issues lingered on even many months after recovery. Post-disease after-effects (and delayed deaths) may have arisen as a result of new viral variations, fading immunity, insufficient vaccination, immunologically impaired status brought about by other medical conditions, co-morbidities, vaccine hesitancy, the individual’s age, and so on. To close − a vaccinated individual has a better chance of resisting future infection, and in this respect, Bharat which accomplished nearly complete vaccination of its vast population gets full marks. In terms of non-medical issues, the pandemic’s economic impact has been significant. Job losses, particularly in the informal sector, have highlighted the vulnerability of livelihoods. Income gaps have widened as a result, emphasizing the importance of and the need for strong social safety nets. The digital divide has also been exposed, hurting schooling and underlining the urgency of closing the gap. Our geopolitical divides were exposed as countries in the Amerisphere hoarded surpluses of expensive vaccines, refusing to sell them to poorer countries, even as Bharat generously donated its affordable home-made vaccines to small countries who simply had no way of obtaining them otherwise, at a time when great gloom had descended on the world. Pandemic disruptions disproportionately impacted students around the world. School closures upset in-person learning for millions of children, exposing the wide digital disparity in educational access. Learning loss, especially among underprivileged pupils, raises concerns about the long-term effects of these disruptions. The impact of the pandemic on students’ psychological condition and mental health emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive support networks. Our government must make adequate efforts to uncover, assess and cushion any potential long-term impact on the minds and well-being of the younger generation, all of whom have been significantly affected by the mandatory two-year absence from schools, universities, and peer groups. This is a significant issue because it is difficult to quantify. The education ministry must address this crucial matter. Other viral hazards exist in addition to COVID-19. Zika, Ebola, Nipah, and Lassa disease have raised global worry. To get a grip on these new hazards, vigilant monitoring and response activities are required and lessons learned from previous pandemics such as the 1918 Spanish flu, should not be forgotten. Compared to the 2019 pandemic, the 1918 pandemic (when 50 million died) caused more havoc. Historical precedents are important. As they say, history repeats itself, but previous mistakes should not, especially since the international economy is significantly more intertwined in 2023 than it was a century ago. Lastly, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed both risks and strengths in global health systems. It emphasises the importance of foresight, equity, openness and international cooperation in navigating current and future health difficulties that our interconnected globe will undoubtedly encounter. The author is in the Indian Institute of Science and has authored a book Bharat: India 2.0_. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views._ Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.