'Only Covid' - An Urgent Need to Tame and Mitigate the Negative Effects of Killing Virus

Man, covid has killed many a men and women. This virus has claimed the lives of many and in today’s world this unknown virus has become one of the important under the carpet factors killing people around the world. This is the situation nearly two to three years back when the virus raised the ugly head to monumental heights and caused a lot of damage to the people affected by it. Man, I am afraid of this virus and see the damage caused by it before my own eyes in my limited range. The damage which went unnoticed can be humongous and by virtue of the harm caused by this virus back then and which has been ongoing, the disadvantages can be really said to be overpowering with the killing spree in the open. Man, surely you can feel these disadvantages and negative consequences have wreaked its aura, causing more reasons to worry back in its heyday than reasons to feel safe and sound. Even though the covid virus has slowed down or subsided, its negative consequences are present still and long-lasting; the after-affects are still felt by everyone. We need to explore ways how to drive away this killing virus on an urgent priority, mitigate the damage wreaked upon and bring back the pre-covid environment on a war footing. Only then, after a covid-free world is created with the course correction and mitigating plans deployed in action, will we continue to prosper and prolong our well-being. With the negative consequences still growing to rise and riding on the highway mocking at us, we need to hit at the root of the cause and prevent the next killing, cure the damage done and wipe out the virus. This is essential for the beginning of the creation of a covid-free world and reverse the fallout it has caused. 

We have travelled a long way from the dark days of covid pandemic. But how many of you have realized these dark days seem to have happened as recently as yesterday when you time travel. It seems like we were sad the day before, recoiled overnight and back to our business the next day. This is the dramatic transformation we have experienced, at least in U.S. where the graph of men, material and economy went into complete reverse gear mode and then saw an overdrive like never before. It seemed the recoil of few decades was done in few years since we navigated from the dangerous days of a pandemic world. The speed of recovery is unparalleled in the past or present world. But have we recovered enough. We can look at the negative and unwanted disadvantages, some of them prevailing till date caused by this killer covid. We did it back then on a weekly basis to take stock of the prevailing pandemic and mitigate it. It has been a great effort from all of us covid warriors to mitigate the pandemic. We need to do it again to remember those dark days, wipe out the negative consequences from rising to dangerous heights and create a covid-free world, both in cause and effect. 

To update, covid has been silent these days but hasn’t been eliminated from the world. From its inception till 28 April 2024, over 775 million confirmed cases and more than seven million deaths have been reported globally. Do we realize the size of this number and how we are living around this virus and almost forgot the heights of pandemic. As of mid-2024, the global situation regarding COVID-19 remains complex, with varying impacts across different regions. New variants of the virus continue to emerge. Some of these variants have shown increased transmissibility and the potential to partially evade immunity provided by vaccines and previous infections. If we look at the cases in the most recent past month of April 2024, globally, during the 28-day period from 1 to 28 April 2024, 92 countries reported COVID-19 cases and 35 countries reported COVID-19 deaths. Note that this does not reflect the actual number of countries where cases or deaths occur, as many countries have stopped or changed the frequency of reporting. From the available data, the number of reported cases and deaths stood at 145 000 new cases and more than 2600 new deaths respectively, a decrease compared to the previous 28 days (4 to 31 March 2024). From the available data, over 32 000 new hospitalizations and more than 400 new ICU admissions were reported during the 28-day period. This tells covid is still a threat but in a limited severity in the prevailing present world. 

Covid virus has killed a lot over the years. Began in early 2020, the pandemic spread globally, resulting in significant mortality. The reported death toll for 2020 was approximately 1.9 million. At its most ferocious in 2021, and with the emergence of new variants such as Delta, the death toll continued to rise despite the rollout of vaccines. The reported death toll for 2021 was approximately as high as 3.5 million. Nearly half of the deaths due to covid happened in one year - 2021. In 2022, 2023 while we are transitioning away from the days of lockdowns, covid has claimed 1.6, 1 million respectively. When an average man nearly forgot the pandemic and when people have started to assemble in hundreds or thousands in groups and gained immunity from vaccines, the covid has silently claimed 0.5 million lives in first five months of 2024. 

In the most active country U.S. where covid has claimed many lives, the reopening, recovery and recoil is more than 100%. But still there is a scarce presence of the killer virus in the country. As of May 14, 2024, it is estimated that COVID-19 infections are growing or likely growing in 13 states and territories, declining or likely declining in 12 states and territories, and are stable or uncertain in 22 states and territories. For 2024, data up to May shows that there have been approximately 2 million reported cases and about 20,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in U.S. With a 1% death rate for every 100 infected persons, the threat is minimal but still present and not negligible. The infected rate of 2 million should be a worrying factor in these present times. We still need to be cautious and careful about this virus at present and in the coming months. 

In India covid has claimed the lives of a little over 0.5 million till date with 45 million infected by it. The virus has a negligible presence in 2024 but still has not been eliminated. But the total active cases are just 576 as of today and the government deserves all the credit for this scenario. Despite most feared, the number of active cases is 0 in Andhra Pradesh and just 4 in Telangana. Contrary to my fears, covid has been eliminated in my native states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This is a big boost towards eliminating killer virus from the country. 26 out of a total 36 states/UTs have zero or single-digit active cases. This is the most encouraging development but still we need to be wary of the undetected and unreported virus cases killing its way through. 

Around the world, as of April 2024, there are still 22 million active cases in all the reported countries. This is a worrying factor where the threat is minimal or negligible as well since the countries have all opened their gates and international travel has almost reverted to pre-pandemic levels. Millions of cases around the world even in 2024 is a worrying factor which needs to be dealt with all caution. 

While this has been the present and past picture created due to covid-19, in a nutshell, the negative consequences or disadvantages are a big cause to worry. While the virus might have been benefitted by multiplying in zillions, the effect on human species is emerging to be negative. From the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic wrought devastating effects globally. Economically, it caused widespread unemployment, business closures, and financial instability. Socially, it intensified mental health struggles, exacerbated domestic violence, and strained healthcare systems. Educationally, it disrupted learning, especially for marginalized students lacking resources. Medically, it overwhelmed hospitals, delaying treatments for non-COVID illnesses and increasing mortality rates. Moreover, it deepened existing inequalities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. The pandemic's toll on mental, physical, and societal well-being will resonate for years, emphasizing the imperative for global solidarity, robust healthcare infrastructure, and proactive crisis management strategies. 

 

There is an urgent need to emerge out of these negative consequences by hitting the core of the problem and treating them completely. We need to begin healing and navigate to the world completely cured by choosing the pathways which are good in their disposition to the cause. Let us repurpose to this goal and let us devise plans that fit this goal. In the mean, we need to be cautious in averting the path of this virus, careful with the virus itself and if possible, disassociate from this virus by completely immunizing with good vaccines.