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Asked by Erin on 8 Feb 2022.
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Valerie Vancollie answered on 8 Feb 2022:
I think the best strategy is a combination of global vaccines and better ventilation in buildings. This will give us good protection against the virus and make it less likely that we will encounter it. We’ve previously had a revolution with water sanitation and now would be a good time to get ventilation standards up.
Moving forwards it would be amazing if we could get a universal coronavirus vaccine, but this is still a work in progress. Until then we might have a yearly one like the fly vaccine.
As for other pandemics, better ventilation would help with any airborne diseases. As a flu pandemic is a distinct possibility, the ventilation would really help here too.
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Melanie Krause answered on 8 Feb 2022:
Hi Erin,
Great question!
I think in the beginning lock downs and social distancing are important to buy time to learn more about the virus and to get a start on vaccine development.
Countries should also have stock piles on masks and PPE. Once we know more about the way a virus is transmitted we should be carefully monitoring gatherings/events where spread is very common.
Then once we have vaccines we need production plants worldwide (which we didn’t this time) to produce the vaccine more quickly. And we need better campaigns to convince people that vaccines are safe and effective. There should also be a patent waiver for developing countries so multiple companies can make the vaccine at once.
This waiver would still be a good idea for the current pandemic but it seems unlikely. I am also a fan of vaccine mandates …we have had those for other vaccines in the past and they are usually very successful. That is why smallpox doesn’t exist anymore 😉
Unfortunately Covid won’t go away but hopefully the vaccines and new drugs will turn it into a fully curable disease.
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