The Time to Begin Plans for COVID-19 Eradication is Now
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15566/cjgh.v7i4.481Keywords:
COVID-19, pandemics, vaccines, global healthAbstract
After the world recovers from the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2, it is most likely to stabilise as endemic and seasonal, deserving/demanding control efforts perpetually in all countries, unless it can be eradicated. The risk of mortality is high among those above 65 years and those with chronic “lifestyle” diseases. Endemic circulation will, therefore, take a heavy toll on life annually. Eradication is an extreme form of control, eliminating the disease permanently and globally. Effective vaccines are expected in the near future. As the pandemic abates, herd immunity will be very high, enabling early eradication by additional build-up of a vaccine-induced herd immunity. Public memory of the pandemic will be fresh, which will assist in social mobilisation and fund raising towards eradication. If time is lost, the infection is likely to become non-eradicable as domestic/farmed animals may become fresh reservoirs. Resolve to eradicate and designing its road-map must be made at the earliest.
References
World Health Organisation. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation report–158, 2020 June 26 [cited 2020 June 27]. Available from: https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200626-covid-19-sitrep-158.pdf?sfvrsn=1d1aae8a_2
CDC COVID-19 Response Team. Severe outcomes among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - United States, February.12-March 16, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2020;69(12):343-6. http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6912e2
Taubenberger JK, Morens DM. 1918 Influenza: the mother of all pandemics. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006;12(1):15-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1201.050979
Dharmapalan D. Influenza [published online ahead of print, 2020 Feb 11]. Indian J Pediatr. 2020;1‐5. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12098-020-03214-1
John TJ. Will coronavirus pandemic eventually evolve as pan-endemic? Current Science. 2020;118(6):855-6. Available from: https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85085976260&origin=inward&txGid=e1083edc3cb277e3b8a1bcdfbcca8e84
Cherry JD. The chronology of the 2002-2003 SARS mini pandemic. Paediatr Respir Rev. 2004;5(4):262-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.prrv.2004.07.009
Al-Omari A, Rabaan AA, Salih S, Al-Tawfiq JA, Memish ZA. MERS coronavirus outbreak: implications for emerging viral infections. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2019;93(3):265-285. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2018.10.011
Dowdle WR. The principles of disease elimination and eradication. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1999;48(SU01):23-7. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su48a7.htm
Liu Y, Gayle AA, Wilder-Smith A, Rocklöv J. The reproductive number of COVID-19 is higher compared to SARS coronavirus. J Travel Med; 2020;27(2):1-4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jtm/taaa021
Mink infected two humans with coronavirus: Dutch Government. Health. 2020 May 25[cited 2020 May 27]. Available from: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2020-05-25/dutch-government-second-case-of-mink-transmitting-coronavirus-to-human
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Christian Journal for Global Health applies the Creative Commons Attribution License to all articles that we publish. Under this license, authors retain ownership of copyright for their articles or they can transfer copyright to their institution, but authors allow anyone without permission to copy, distribute, transmit, and/or adapt articles, even for commercial purposes so long as the original authors and Christian Journal for Global Health are appropriately cited.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.