Experts Are Now Questioning The Inevitability Of A Second Wave Of Coronavirus

Earlier this year during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, experts were worried about a potential resurgence of infection rates and positive cases in the form of a “second wave” of the virus. In the last few weeks, many American states and countries worldwide have started the reopening process, easing restrictions on business, travel, and daily life. This has been accompanied with its share of consequences. Some states that are pushing forward with aggressive reopening measures have seen significant spikes in positive cases. Conversely, other states such as Illinois are showing more promising results, displaying not only decreasing infection numbers, but also progressively better testing capabilities. Experts attribute this variance to a variety of factors, including the vastly different reopening procedures between different states, more available testing capabilities in certain areas compared to others, and individuals not following proper social distancing and infection control guidelines. Regardless, these varying trends just continue to confirm the same point that experts have been saying all along: COVID-19 is unprecedented, complex, and may not necessarily show historically expected patterns of spread or resolution.

Accordingly, experts are having a difficult time predicting what the next few months will look like. In a statement to CNN last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci commented that “It is not inevitable that you will have a so-called ‘second wave’ in the fall or even a massive increase if you approach it in the proper way.” Dr. Fauci, who is director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has been an advisor to the White House on the approach to COVID-19 over the last few months, and thus remains a prominent public voice during this pandemic. Others who contend that a second wave may be avoidable are optimistic for different reasons. One such reason is that many believe that the first wave is not yet over, and will not be over anytime soon. Rather, controlling the original surge itself may take many more months, by which time experts are hoping for more viable solutions to the pandemic globally, including better infrastructure to practice social distancing, more widespread testing capabilities, and most importantly, a viable vaccination.

In terms of a vaccination, over 100 potential vaccines are being explored globally, with more than a handful in human trials already. But the vaccine development process has its own obstacles, including funding, transparency, as well developing the operations infrastructure to eventually mass produce billions of doses. However, experts remain hopeful that the scientific community will innovate something viable in the near future that may be able to provide hope and eventual resolution. As of today, total confirmed cases exceed 7.9 million globally, with over 430,000 deaths. Until a more permanent solution can be found, communities and individuals must continue to strictly enforce and follow the guidelines put forth by public health officials and experts, in order to ultimately contain the death-toll of this devastating pandemic.

The content of this article is not implied to be and should not be relied on or substituted for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment by any means, and is not written or intended as such. This content is for information purposes only. Consult with a trained medical professional for medical advice.