COVID-19 is a worldwide pandemic now and is a serious threat to us all. It may well be unique in more ways than one, but it is certainly unique in that it is, to my knowledge, the first disease that is being managed by politicians and economists. Of course we all have become amateur virologists, but the real epidemiologists are now being usurped by the lay public.
This virus is likely to mutate with a variety of speeds. Like the influenza virus, it will be around in some form on a long term basis. Any vaccine will probably need to be developed on an ongoing basis.
One of the primary reasons for this pandemic seems to be that most of the world has not had a common enemy since WWII. In the USA particularly, this is true. The citizenry is now made up of largely a populace demanding instant gratification. The politicians are all hoping to get elected or reelected with their behavior in a crisis. The economists are being guided by what they and their seniors think the public will tolerate. This leads to mediocre measures. It is hard to come up with a more inept group than the people "leading" the way.
The real experts, the epidemiologists, should be making the policies of containment. Their advisory role is not accepted unless it is politically expedient. The general public has little idea about this unless the media comes up with an expert that is not fearful of his reputation, research grants loss, and damage to his position in the scientific community. Our "leaders" are afraid of the public opinion. Some of them are beyond ignorant. Martial law with a qualified czar on health matters might do the trick, but that is pie in the sky thinking for now.
There is little solidarity of public opinion now. In WWII, the country was combined together with almost no exception against the enemy. Few people are alive from that period today. Attitudes have changed. In the long term, this disease may be beneficial if it corrects some of these attitudes.
Vaccine? Questionable. Herd immunity? Possibly.
