With companies around the world in the race to develop vaccines for coronavirus, some have claimed that their vaccine candidate may be available by the end of the year. However, Dr. Anthony Fauci from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases gave a reality check that the vaccine will most likely be ready by springtime next year, while the CDC had another serious announcement.
'I think as we get into 2021, several months in, that you would have [a] vaccine that would be widely available to people in the United States,' he said. Even if the human trials of vaccines are completed by the end of 2020 and approved for use, it will take months for it to be available all over the country.
Although he said that 'anything is possible,' he remains skeptical that a vaccine will be available before 2021. Yet, he remains hopeful that with a vaccine, the pandemic can be stopped. Dr. Fauci also advises that everyone should get vaccinated for influenza because coronavirus will still be around during the flu season in the fall and winter.
Lingering Symptoms
The second reality check came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (CDC) regarding coronavirus symptoms. Young adults between the age of 18 to 34 have had lingering virus symptoms for weeks. 20% of adults within this age group have had prolonged fatigue or cough.
Currently, the United States is at about 4.1 million coronavirus cases, which is almost 40% of all cases around the world which the World Health Organization reported to be about 15.3 million. In Los Angeles County, California alone, there have been 2,000 cases added to the case count daily for the past four days.
Fauci, alongside 150 medical staff, teachers, and others signed a letter to politicians hoping that the nation will shut down again to contain the rising cases. The letter said, 'Right now we are on a path to lose more than 200,000 American lives by November 1st. Yet, in many states, people can drink in bars, get a haircut, eat inside a restaurant, get a tattoo, get a massage, and do myriad other normal, pleasant, but non-essential activities.'
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Reopening Schools
Another major concern had been the reopening of schools for in-person classes which some states delayed such as Texas on September 8. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, 'We are all desperate to move on from this crisis and get life back to normal.' While early September might be too soon to reopen schools, 'the fastest way we can all work together to bring this virus under control, the sooner we will be in a position to reopen again for the long term,' she continued.
While parents worry about the safety of their children, the CDC's guidance on the importance of schools reopening in the fall state that children are at less risk of getting infected with coronavirus. Moreover, online and modular alternatives for learning would be difficult and a great disadvantage for students.
According to the CDC, 'At the same time, the harms attributed to closed schools on the social, emotional, and behavioral health, economic well-being, and academic achievement of children, in both the short- and long-term, are well-known and significant.' They also said that aside from home, the well-being of a child is influenced by an education institution. Schools reopening gives parents the 'opportunity to invest in the education, well-being, and future of one of America's greatest assets-our children'- with everyone taking necessary precautions for the safety of students during the pandemic.
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