COVID-19: endemic doesn’t mean harmless

The word ‘endemic’ has become one of the most misused of the pandemic. And many of the errant assumptions made encourage a misplaced complacency. It doesn’t mean that COVID-19 will come to a natural end.

In other words, a disease can be endemic and both widespread and deadly. Malaria killed more than 600,000 people in 2020. Ten million fell ill with tuberculosis that same year and 1.5 million died. Endemic certainly does not mean that evolution has somehow tamed a pathogen so that life simply returns to ‘normal’.As an evolutionary virologist, it frustrates me when policymakers invoke the word endemic as an excuse to do little or nothing.

Soon after the Alpha variant emerged and spread in late 2020, I argued that, unless infections were suppressed, viral evolution would be fast and unpredictable, with the emergence of more variants with different and potentially more-dangerous biological characteristics.

COVID-19 is, of course, not the world’s first pandemic. The fact that immune systems have evolved to cope with constant infections, and the traces of viral genetic material embedded in our own genomes from ancient viral infections, are testament to such evolutionary battles. It is likely that some viruses went ‘extinct’ on their own and still caused high rates of mortality on the way out.There is a widespread, rosy misconception that viruses evolve over time to become more benign.

Bleibt zu wünschen, dass das Impfprogramm nicht irgendwann schaden anrichtet. T cell exhaustion

It's not possible to say it is endemic yet. How do we know the level of infections in the weeks and months to come? There are very few knowns on this subject, compared to other endemic diseases!

'If you tell a big enough lie ,and tell it frequently enough ,it will be believed.' adolf hitler

United States Latest News, United States Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

FDA acts to expand use of treatment for COVID-19 patients with mild-to-moderate diseasePreviously, the use of Veklury, a Gilead Sciences Inc. drug, was limited to those requiring hospitalization.
Source: FOX29philly - 🏆 570. / 51 Read more »

Australia Had Covid-19 Under Control—Omicron Changed ThatAustralia’s Covid-19 infections and deaths were once among the lowest in the world. Now, a wave of the virus unlike anything the country had seen is fueling anger at the government. Who could have possibly predicted? What a wank article.
Source: WSJ - 🏆 98. / 63 Read more »

Fauci: Omicron COVID-19 infections likely to peak in FebruaryDr. Anthony Fauci said he was 'as confident as you can be' that states will hit their highest point of infections in February Hurry up and get your 20th booster shot !! 🤡🤡🤡 Ok. Keep me posted.
Source: FOX29philly - 🏆 570. / 51 Read more »

COVID-19 live updates: New Zealand imposes restrictions amid omicron outbreakNew Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern revealed that her own wedding will be postponed as she announced a new set of COVID-19 restrictions amid the country’s first omicron outbreak. I feel just awful for those 30 or so folks who live in New Zealand. Thoughts and prayers, y'all. America is the shining beacon on the hill and JoeBiden is destroying it This is what happened when you give up guns!
Source: ABC - 🏆 471. / 51 Read more »

Utah's lieutenant governor tests positive for COVID-19Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson tested positive for COVID-19 Sunday, her office announced. Oh, No! Welp..... Hope she's not depending on healthcare from those in the cheap seats. Isn’t this the second time?
Source: fox13 - 🏆 550. / 51 Read more »

Utah lieutenant governor tests positive for COVID-19Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson has tested positive for COVID-19 days after a string of Utah legislators also tested positive for the virus. Zzzzzzzzzzz 😂😂. CoxFailed HendersenFailed UtahLegislatureFailed No one cares anymore. I know plenty of people,vaxed and not vaxed, all have the same symptoms. Time to move on.
Source: KSLcom - 🏆 549. / 51 Read more »