Anahita Kodali 23′
Figure 1: Many people have compared the novel coronavirus pandemic to the Spanish influenza epidemic, which struck about 100 years ago (Spanish influenza is shown in the image above). Scientists and researchers have warned us to not make these comparisons, however, as there are fundamental biological and medical advancements that have been made since the outbreak back in 1918 and 1919 that have made us more prepared to deal with the virus, including the ability to see viruses and a better understanding of the body’s immune response to pathogen exposure4.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
The novel coronavirus pandemic has taken the world by storm. As of April 3rd 2020, over fifty-nine thousand people have died of complications related to the virus, with over one million reported cases in 205 countries1. COVID-19 has many similarities to the common flu, as both are highly infections respiratory illnesses, both cause fever, cough, fatigue, and can lead to pneumonia and death, and neither can be treated with antibiotics. There are some key differences, however. Unlike the flu, there is currently no vaccine available for coronavirus. In addition, there is still much unknown about the transmission rate of the virus, its true fatality rate, and the possible treatment options2. Thus, it is imperative scientists continue conducting research to resolve these issues.
The COVID-19 epidemic has presented several challenges to researchers across the globe, however, halting progress on vaccines discovery and treatments development. Given the current state of affairs, coronavirus research must be a harmonious international effort, as the virus’s pathology is complex and has impacted almost every country on the planet. But this international effort is impeded by barriers to international travel imposed to prevent the virus from spreading, thereby keeping researchers from meeting or returning to work in their own labs. And while some traveling researchers were lucky enough to be able to fly home and be with their families, some unfortunate others were abroad when borders were suddenly closed. For example, Professor Brian Enquist of the University of Arizona was in Peru with a team of scientists studying climate change when Peru stopped all travel in and out of the country. They were stranded for weeks before the majority were allowed to leave3.
Another major concern is the shutdown of common facilities essential for data collection. For example, many physicists rely on experimental data collected at CERN, the world’s biggest particle accelerator. The facility closed in March 2020 for “an indefinite period of time,” Professor Tim Andeen of the University of Texas at Austin told Scientific American. His work on particle physics at CERN is one of thousands of projects around the globe that has been put on pause due to the pandemic. He fears that if research stops for more than a couple of months, there will be severe repercussions on the field of particle physics, which has applications in medicine, data analysis, among others3. The full extent of this setback is still unknown.
Despite the problems, there is a silver lining for the field of research. By forcing researchers to come up with creative ways to continue work and by pushing universities embrace online formats, there is an added potential to increase accessibility to science. Anyone with a computer and stable internet connection can access courses in hundreds of areas of academic interest, and those who cannot afford travel are finding ways to conduct scientific investigations at home. Undoubtedly, every field of scientific research and nearly every industry in the global economy will be permanently altered following the pandemic, but some of that change may possibly be for the better.
References:
[1] Coronavirus Death Toll. (2020, April 3). worldometer. Retrieved from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/coronavirus-death-toll/
[2] Maragakis, L. L. (n.d.). Coronavirus Disease 2019 vs. the Flu. Johns Hopkins Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-disease-2019-vs-the-flu
[3] Courage, K. H. (2020, April 3). Coronavirus Disrupts Vital Field Research-Including Disease Transmission Work. Scientific American. Retrieved from https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coronavirus-disrupts-vital-field-research-including-disease-transmission-work/
[4] TROUILLARD, S. (2020, March 20). How does the coronavirus compare to the Spanish flu? France 24. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/20200320-how-does-the-coronavirus-compare-to-the-spanish-flu