COVID may never go away

11

Eldean Eudelle

“My fellow Antiguans and Barbudans …There’s a good chance the coronavirus will never go away.

Even after a vaccine is discovered and deployed, the coronavirus will likely remain for decades to come, circulating among the world’s population.

Such diseases are endemic, stubbornly resisting efforts to stamp them out. Think measles, HIV, chickenpox.

It is a daunting proposition, a coronavirus-tinged world without a foreseeable end.

With so much else uncertain, the persistence of the novel virus is one of the few things we can count on about the future. That doesn’t mean the situation will always be as dire.

There are already four endemic coronaviruses that circulate continuously, causing the common cold. This virus may just become the fifth .. its effects growing milder as immunity spreads and our bodies adapt to it over time.

For now, though, most people have not been infected and remain susceptible. And the highly transmissible disease has surged in recent weeks even in countries that initially succeeded in suppressing it. Left alone, it will simply keep burning through the world’s population.

This virus is here to stay.The question is, how do we live with it safely?

Combating endemic diseases requires long-range thinking, sustained effort and international coordination. Stamping out the virus could take decades, if it happens at all. Such efforts take time, money and, most of all, political will.

We need to be patient. Follow all the protocols set by the government. We need to learn to adapt. So yes, schools will be closed. A measure that the government deemed vital in its efforts to fight the transmission of this disease. Many other countries have adapted to homeschooling. Educational systems have revamped their curriculum to cater to virtual classrooms. Why can’t we adapt ? Adapting is not easy. No one can ever tell you that it is.

But we must make efforts to. Parents you must remember that school was not just a place where underpaid educators were to babysit your children. Now you have to adapt to having your children at home and seeing to it and encouraging them, to adapt to these new means of learning. While we adapt and embrace our new reality , we must have faith that the government will do all in its efforts to assist the people of this twin island nation to adapt too.

I’m tired of hearing people talk of returning to normal. But a future with an enduring coronavirus means that normal no longer exists. As we find different ways to adapt and discover what works, that’s how we’re going to start reclaiming parts of our society and life.

As we adapt and embrace our new reality. What’s needed are more sophisticated testing strategies, that can increase our speed and ability to detect surges in the virus. We might need to establish a handful of sites that test only patients who have developed symptoms in the last four days, to increase sensitivity to sudden increases in transmission.

We need testing strategies that allow you to put on brakes quickly enough to stop surges.
OBGYN is my specialty area and I think that maybe eventually we should have universal testing for pregnant women to measure the asymptomatic spread of the virus among people who have been infected but don’t show symptoms. The women could be an ideal sample testing population because they already visit hospitals and clinics for delivery and maternity checkups.

I recently read that one hospital in New York tested every pregnant woman who came in to deliver and found 15% had the coronavirus. Most of those testing positive , 88% showed no symptoms, a sign of how crucial such testing could be.

We need to adapt. As we adapt we need to think of our mental health too. Living long-term with the virus also means addressing the mental health effects. There’s an assumption that increases in depression and anxiety are a temporary problem that will eventually disappear along with the virus.

But for some people, the trauma, fear and stress will accumulate and fester like a wound if left unaddressed.The psychological recovery is going to be as important as economic and logistical parts of this.

This yearning of ours for a quick fix has turned in recent weeks toward a vaccine, now being portrayed as a solution that will quash the virus once and for all.

But the world has achieved that only once, with smallpox , a measure of just how difficult it is for vaccines to wipe out diseases. And it took nearly two centuries after the discovery of a vaccine , and an unprecedented international effort , to vanquish smallpox, which stole hundreds of millions of lives.

The coronavirus could become relatively benign, causing milder infections as our immune systems develop a memory of responses to it through previous infection or vaccination. But that process could take years.

It’s sad to say this, but I believe many of you won’t make the shift toward long-range thinking until the virus spreads more widely and affects someone you know.

It’s like people who drive too fast. They come upon the scene of an accident, and for a little while, they drive more carefully, but soon they’re back to speeding again.

Contrast that with people who have lost someone to drunk driving, it mobilizes them and becomes a cause for them. Eventually, everyone is going to know someone who got infected or died from this virus. That’s what it may take.Did you know my mother? My mom died on April 3rd 2020.Covid-19 took her from me. The fight against Covid-19 has become my cause!

My fellow Antiguans and Barbudans-Wear your masks! Practice social distancing! Wash your hands ! Avoid contact with other persons if you feel you were exposed…..let’s adapt together….let’s embrace our new reality..together we can… God bless us all.”

Eldean Eudelle

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11 COMMENTS

  1. My condolences to you and your family. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge. We are almost a year into the pandemic and we have to do better. We all have a personal responsibility to protect ourselves and others. My mother died from complications associated with the FLU virus in 2018, so I understand the importance of doing what is necessary to stay safe. Adapting to our new normal is pivotal in securing our future. Stay safe everyone.

  2. Yes Eldean Yes.
    Well articulated, accurate piece.
    Let 2021 be the year for each of us to truly understand with the reality of covid and practice moving our lives differently onwards & moving eventually into a thriving different way of life.
    Together we can.

    Condolences for the loss of your mother, may her spirit guide yours.

  3. Again and again…

    A…COVID-19 is a well designed business plan modelled from the template of the #Roaring 20’s(1900 -1945) time period.

    B…COVID-19 is aerosolized herpes.

    C…Wealth is not health, health is wealth.

  4. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY FIRST OF ALL THAT YOUR WHOLE ACCEPTANCE OF SUCH VIRUS IN EXISTENCE IS AN DIRE ILLUSION, THE CORONA VIRUS IS A STAGED VIRUS AND ONE THAT FULFILLS PROPHECY. I KNOW YOU ARE IN ANTIGUA AND YOU ARE GOING TO FOLLOW THE NEWS AS KEENLY AS POSSIBLE.THAT PRIME MINISTER gaston browne AND HIS PARTY ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS CORONA VIRUS FALLACY.gaston browne IS A JESUIT VAMPIRE AND IS WORKING WITH THE VATICAN TO IMPLEMENT THE MARK OF THE BEAST ON THE HUMBLE ANTIGUA PEOPLE,THIS MISLEADING IS TAKING PLACE BECAUSE ON LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND IS FOLLOWING A FALSE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA ABOUT CORONA VIRUS.THE TIME YOU ARE REALLY IN IS REVELATION CHAPTER 13,WHEN ALL THE WORLD LEADERS WAS TO MAKE AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST,SO ALL THIS CORONA CASES, QUARANTINING,SCHOOL CLOSURES,CERFEWS,SMALL SO CALLED CORONA DEATHS AND WHATSOEVER RESTRICTIONS ETC, IN ANTIGUA IS A FALLACY,IT A LIE BY gaston browne AND HIS PARTY EVEN MOLWYN JOSEPH. IT IS ONE OF THE MOST MISLEADING THIS I KNOW ANTIGUANS EVER BEEN THROUGH.AGAIN IS REVELATION CHAPTER 13 PROPHECY. IN SAYING ITS REVELATION CHAPTER 13 PROPHECY,THE WORD CORONA ,CORONA VIRUS IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT ,WHICH HAVE TWO MEANING ,ONE OF THE SUN AND ONE OF A CROWN.IN REVELATION CHAPTER 13 -12,13 USA AMERICA IS THE SECOND BEAST,THAT CAME UP OUT OF THE EARTH WHICH HAS TWO HORNS AS A LAMB AND SPEAK AS A DRAGON,THAT SAME SECOND BEAST USA AMERICA WAS TO MAKE A FIRE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN ,AND DECEIVE AS MUCH PEOPLE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH AS POSSIBLE ,BY THE MIRACLES HE HAD POWER TO DOETH,IN THE SIGHT OF MEN.WHEN SUCH FIRE CAME FROM HEAVEN,USA AMERICA THE SECOND BEAST SAID TO THE WHOLE WORLD THAT THEY SHOULD MAKE AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST. CORONA,SOLAR CORONA,SUN CORONA,CORONA VIRUS IS THAT WORD THAT FULFILLS REVELATION CHAPTER 13.AND HE MAKETH A FIRE COME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.THE CROWN MEANING NOW OF CORONA IN THESE FALSE WORLD LEADERS WE ARE SEEING NOW MAKING TOTALITARIANISM RESTRICTIONS IN THEIR COUNTRIES GOVERNING.THIS IS THE IMAGE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE TO THE BEAST. SO IF YOU COULD RECALLED EVERYTHING YOU HAD SEEN ON THIS INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION MEDIA SYSTEM,YOU WERE WATCHING THE 🔥 FIRE COMING DOWN FROM HEAVEN.MOST OF THE NEWS YOU WERE WATCHING IN THESE INTERNATIONAL COUNTRIES WERE STAGED,ESPECIALLY IN THEIR DEATH TOLLS AND CASES,UK ,USA,ITALY, EVERY AND ANYWHERE,THE DEATH TOLLS ARE FALSE,ITS ONLY TO IMPLEMENT THE MARK OF THE BEAST.AGAIN THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST CAME WITH TOTALITARIANISM RESTRICTIONS, CERFEWS,SCHOOL CLOSURES,TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS,INTERNATIONALLY,LARGE GATHERINGS,SPORT STADIUMS GOING VIRTUAL,CONCERTS AND THEATERS,IT EVEN CAME WITH 6 FEET APART SOCIAL DISTANCING AND A MASK TO BUY AND SELL .IN REVELATION CHAPTER 13 -17 READS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF THE MAN TO BUY AND SELL 6 FEET APART SOCIAL DISTANCING IS THAT NUMBER THAT MAKES IT THE FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY. IN USA AMERICA WHERE I AM AT ,ALMOST EVERY STORE HAS SIGNS SAYING STAY 6 FEET APART TO ENTER,EVERY STORES,BUSINESSES,GOVERNMENT AND WORK OFFICES ,HAVE 6 FEET APART TO ENTER ,THE NUMBER OF THE MAN 666.666.666.666.666.666.666.666.ALSO ON ALL THESE STORES AND BUSINESSES,HAVE SIGNS SAYING NO FACE MASK NO ENTRY ,TO BUY AND SELL. FACE MASK WEARING IS YOU ACCEPTING THE IMAGE OF THE BEAST,JUST TO BUY AND SELL.THE VIRUS WAS NOT AIRBORNE ITS USA AMERICA MEDIA ,WITH THE C.D.C ,W.H.O. AND THAT WICKED JESUIT VAMPIRE DR FAUCI ,JUST AS JESUIT VAMPIRE gaston browne YOUR SO CALLED PRIME MINISTER OF CORONA VIRUS SAFETY,FALLACY.LIES.FALSE.IN REVELATION CHAPTER 13 WE ALSO READS ABOUT THE MARK OF THE BEAST,WITHIN THE HAND OR FOREHEAD,WE SEE THE CORONA VIRUS VACCINE IS IMPLEMENTED NOW AND WE ARE WAITING FOR A BARCODE OF SOME TYPE TO TAKE US BACK TO TRAVELING NORMALCY.IN THE VERY VERY VERY NEAR FUTURE A BARCODE OF SOME TYPE WILL BE IMPLEMENTED TO GET THE GENERAL PUBLIC BACK TO THESE STADIUMS AND LARGE CONCERT,PLUS TRAVELING ETC.SO gaston browne WITH ANY HEALTH MINISTER MOTIVE WAS THIS ,THE CORONA VIRUS WAS STAGED,FALSE CORONA VIRUS SICKNESS CHART IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA. SPEAKING ABOUT FALSE CORONA VIRUS NEWS ,IF YOU COULD OBSERVE FOR A WHILE THIS NEW STRAIN OR VARIANT,THAT IS SPREADING IN THE MEDIA ITS FALSE AND ALL WHITEWASH RACIST IMPLEMENT VACCINE MEDIA.THAT VARIANT IS ANOTHER WAY TO INFLUENCE SMALLER COUNTRIES WATCHING THE INTERNATIONAL NEWS FOR SOME DIRECTION ABOUT THE CORONA VIRUS AND VACCINE COMPETENCY.THE CORONA VIRUS VACCINE HAVE A MAJOR ROLE TO PLAY WITH THE MARK OF THE BEAST,DON’T LET MOLWYN JOSEPH OR gaston browne,DECEITFUL CORONA IMAGE TO THE BEAST LIES DECEIVE THE GENERAL PUBLIC OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA.THE CORONA VIRUS VACCINE AND A MICROCHIP WERE SPECULATIONS MOST PEOPLE HAD ,WHEN THINKING ABOUT THE MARK OF THE BEAST,WE SEE THE VACCINE NOW IS DECEIVING THE WICKED ACCEPTORS OF SUCH USAGE ,BUT THE SAME CORONA VIRUS VACCINE ARE EVEN CAUSING SOME OLD BRAINWASHED VULNERABLE TO BELIEVE THEY HAD NEED FOR SUCH,WHICH RESULTED IN THEIR DEATH.THE CORONA VIRUS COME WITH A VACCINE,SO IF THERE’S A MICROCHIP IN THE VERY VERY VERY NEAR FUTURE IT WILL STILL HAVE THE WORD CORONA ATTACHED TO IT,THE WORD THE WHOLE WORLD MAKE AN IMAGE TO THE BEAST WITH “CORONA”.PLEASE READ REVELATION CHAPTER 13 ,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,.HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY HAILE SELASSIE THE FIRST.LOVE RASTAFARI.

  5. This is why I said the whole talk of lockdown don’t make no sense. This virus is not leaving so why should people endure more hardships. Just leave the boarders open and test and qurantine everyone. Keep to protocals and penislise all who fail to follow. Welcome to the new normal

    • Would have worked if they did it starting in June.

      Now the virus is rampant on your island and spreading exponentially every day.

      It doesn’t matter if the government does not lockdown now. It is happening regardless. People are not traveling to Antigua as they were because no one wants to go on vacation to a COVID infested island.

      And the numbers of visitors will continue to decline as the numbers of cases continue to increase, businesses will close, more people will lose jobs, crime will increase and disaster will result.

      When the government had a chance to protect the island they declined in favor of tourists $$$.

      Now the dollars are going away anyway and the health of the people is still in jeopardy

      • Sir why is it you feel the need to respond to everyone who does not agree with your opition. I must wonder. Are you bored and loom for someone to talk to if so then I’m sorry worng person you are looking for the engage in your debate. You have your opition and I have mine now stay safe and go find someone else to annoy.

        • Pray the situation in Antigua doesn’t get worse as Antigua will be in involuntary lock down when the tourists stop coming because of the high number of covid cases.

  6. So called first world nations failed or deliberately refused to understand this corona virus. Instead of doing the right thing they politicized the pandemic chief among them was United States of America where the democrats weaponized the pandemic to get rid of Trump. China where the virus originated has long got the virus under control while in the west numbers are rising. The Spanish flu of 1918 reportedly lasted two years it infected and killed millions, yet after two years it was gone without the assistance of a vaccine. The drug of choice at the time was aspirin many got poisoned by this drug. We now have vaccines that scientist have told works, yet the big countries like USA, UK. Canada and France are now introducing restrictive measures, measures that should have been implemented from the early stages of this pandemic. So why are these countries appear to be in panic?

  7. @ Paul T. Such an ignorant comment. The only thing that appears to be true is the date of the Spanish flu. Stop spreading propaganda!

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