Until 2020, a few Americans needed to think about how viruses spread or how the human immune system works. The epidemic presented a painful crash path. Sometimes, it seems that the science was developing at the speed of the virus itself.
So the New York Times asked experts to review the nightmare. One of the most important general health measures that was presented during Covid, which has scientifically withstood, has turned to be displayed?
The question is especially important now, because epidemics that can increase American life are inevitable. One candidate appeared already: bird flu.
Many experts said that the largest lesson has been learned is that the recommendations during any pandemic are necessarily based on emerging and incomplete information. But during Covid, federal agencies often expected greater confidence in their assessments more than justified.
The scientists said the next time, officials should be more explicit about the uncertainty and preparation of the public to obtain guidelines that may turn with the threat more clearly focused.
Instead of strengthening preventive measures as infallible solutions, you should also recognize that there is no perfect intervention – although many incomplete measures can build stones.
“You are ventured in” a heavy, rainy storm, the umbrella alone will not prevent you from wet, “said Linsi Mar, an air -portable virus expert in Virginia Tech.
“You need your umbrella. You need your shoes. You need your pants and a waterproof jacket. She said,” Maybe you will try to avoid ponds. “
Vaccines
Victory, but officials exaggerate the benefits in the beginning.
The Merseuled Rana vaccines were, to some extent, the victims of their unexpected success in clinical trials in 2020. These results were amazing: the shots of symptoms caused by the original version of the Corona virus were ignored at miracle rates.
But government officials had to retract their enthusiasm, as penetration infections with the Delta variable increased in the summer of 2021. Americans were asked to obtain reinforcement. Then again, again.
Natalie Dean, a vital scientist at Emory University, said that federal health officials should have initially admitted that the long -term event is unknown.
Lack of confidence in the safety and effectiveness of Covid vaccines is now affecting other assessments, including those who target childhood diseases such as measles.
“The submission of claims early that this will prevent all infection, as I think, a little of the general confidence that undermined the public’s confidence in the end,” said Saskia Boubbesco, an expert in infection at the University of Maryland.
However, the vaccines saved Introducing 14 million people Only in the first year after their presentation.
Portable spread by air
The surfaces were not the problem. It was inner air.
The differences between scientists on how the Corona virus traveled deep repercussions on how to tell Americans to protect themselves.
Early, health officials insisted that the virus is spreading through large drops that have been counted or sneezed by someone with other people or things. The theory of “Fomite” led to protocols that were not logical in the past.
Remember Plexigla barriers during presidential discussions? Facial shields? Schools were closed to spend cleaning days in the middle of the week. People were sitting in groceries and mail.
“The entire hygiene scene was very unfortunate,” said Michael Ostohm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota. She wasted millions of dollars and gave people a false feeling of safety.
Health agencies lasted months to admit that the virus has been implemented on small drops called aerosols, in which it can be exhale, and traveled long distances inside. Unfortunately, this insight initially led to another amount of summits.
Dr. Dean said that some states closed the beaches and gardens, and prevent the reactions in the open air, although “there is good scientific evidence that outdoor events are less risks.”
Ultimately, the understanding that the virus was mainly floating at home pushing the Biden administration to allocate access to improved ventilation funds in schools.
Hide
I have worked if you use the right masks correctly.
With the spread of the epidemic in the United States, the conviction from public health intervention turned into a cultural flash point.
Assuming that the Corona virus traveled like influenza and anxiety that hospitals may not have enough resources, Heath Federalists initially told the masks that were not necessary.
This advice was suddenly reversed as soon as the scientists knew that the Corona virus was air carried. However, officials initially recommended fabric masks – which are not very effective in maintaining air portable viruses – and did not support more breathing devices in N95 protection until January 2022, after many audiences stopped using fabric masks.
Dozens of studies Ownership He appears That when used properly and steadily, N95 masks or its rewards can prevent the affected people from spreading the virus and Protect its wearer From contracting it.
Unfortunately, many defective studies and personal freedom policy created a cultural war surrounding the use of masks, especially children, said Bill Hanaj, the epidemic scientist at Harvard Chan College of Public Health.
In the event of another respiratory outbreak, “I am very anxious that the entire election circle has already ignored masks.”
Some experts pointed out that children in Asia are wearing masks routinely, especially during the respiratory viruses and allergies allergy.
“I hope that we can instill more infection in primary schools in particular during the respiratory viruses season,” said Dr. Boubekco. “It looked like a really great way to restore children in schools.”
Fateh immunity
Shimira. We did not get there.
Nearly two years ago after the epidemic began, experts talked about reaching the herd immunity as soon as a sufficient number of population gained protection either by exposure to the disease or exposure to volunteering.
Experts said this was a mistake. The herd immunity is possible only if the immunity is sterilized – which means that it prevents recycling – and for life. The immunity of most viruses is not.
Jeffrey Shaman, an epidemiologist at the University of Colombia, who has early insisted that the new Corona virus may also cause infections that seasonal Coronal viruses change quickly enough that people undergo frequent infections throughout their lives.
Once the vaccines arrive, officials initially presented the shots as a way to stay safe from the virus forever, not as a way to reduce the severity of the injuries.
Dr. Dean said: “There was a lot of confusion and misconceptions about the herd’s immunity – that the toothpaste was back to the tube in one way or another.”
Closing schools
It is necessary at the beginning. Doubt over time.
Some aspects of the epidemic raises a lot of closing schools. In many parts of the country, the test scores have never been recovered and absent from a due problem.
But experts said that this is the correct decision to close schools in the spring of 2020, when the causes of diseases were not well understood throughout the country. Ideally, schools were reopened in it, but with measures – improving ventilation, testing and masks – to relieve risks.
“Of course, we did not have any of these things,” said Dr. Hanaj.
By early autumn in 2020, it was clear that schoolchildren did not lead to the transfer of society significantly. However, many schools remained closed for months longer than they were, forcing children to disturb distance learning and cause some irreversible decrease.
“It is very difficult to the middle of the two,” said Dr. Shaman.
“We do not have this alternative scenario to see how it would have already played.”
If the bird flu turns into a pandemic, it will be stupid to develop school policies on how the Coronav virus is behaved, from it and others. Other respiratory viruses, such as influenza, tend to be more common among young children and the elderly.
“We have all the reasons for the belief that the Future Influenza’s pandemic will be more dangerous to young people than Kovid was,” said Dr. Hanaj. “I think we should talk about what we can do to alleviate the transmission of infection in schools.”
Locks
They slowed the virus, but the price was high.
The epidemic destroyed local companies, and sent unemployment rates to the rise and increase of family debts. Many people now feel that the clients were blaming a lot of damage – and that their damages outweigh any benefits.
Many scholars see it differently. “The economy has been closed through the pure power of the epidemic,” said Dr. Ostrolem.
No American state policies have approached the stricter of China, India, Italy or Jordan – Where people were not allowed to leave the house at all – and many work force and community activities continued because they were considered necessary.
By the end of May 2020, it has resumed internal food and religious services in most parts of the country, if they were at all stopped, although many cities continued to have a temporary ban with low virus levels.
The closures may be partially unpopular because they were presented without any clear or end explanation on the horizon.
Instead, Dr. Ostrolem said, health officials could put the concept of “Snow Day”. People remained at home when hospitals were soaked, as they do when the roads fell, but their behavior returned to normal when it reduced the situation.
The closure closed the burden on hospitals and The transition is slowed down From the virus, buy time to develop a vaccine. Studies from numerous Other countries also have He appears The orders of staying at home and restrictions on group gatherings were The most effective Trainers for Settling the transmission From the virus within societies.
Dr. Hanaj said: “Whatever people do in 2020, before people vaccinated, he saved millions of lives,” said Dr. Hanaj. “If we do nothing, we will not do anything at all, things would be much worse.”
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