It has been approximately 6 months since the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Wuhan, China. With over 3 million cases worldwide and 200,000 deaths, the effects of the virus have no plans on stopping soon. Despite these numbers, countries in Asia, Europe and some states in the US are slowly opening their cities back whilst adapting the new concept of the new normal. With 31 states set to loosen restrictions come May 11 and talks of a vaccine on the way but possibly still months away, what does the new norm really entail?
CDC has released guidelines to aid different establishments in conforming to the new norm. These suggestions include schools and restaurants to have tables 6 feet apart, limited contact, less employees, and efforts to make everything disposable. Drive through or curbside pickups are preferred. School assemblies and field trips are discouraged. Church assemblies are highly urged to hold services virtually, through drive in or outdoor assemblies with limited number of people. Beaches are set to be strictly for active recreation with social distancing still implemented. Retail stores are set to open by the end of this week but strictly for curbside pickup only.
Despite these guidelines, former Food and Drug administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb warned that the country should accept that the new normal will still have a transmission rate of 30,000 new cases per day if not higher. The infection rate plateaued slowly as shelter in place was initiated but a significant decrease has not been seen. Analysts mark that the US death tolls are to average around 100,000 to 240,000 with full mitigation. Infection spikes are said to decrease throughout summer but is expected to rise again in the fall. This could be due to several factors including the seasonal change and even mutations on the virus genome.
Telemedicine, a branch that was gaining popularity pre-COVID time has recently experienced sharp momentum and growth during the global pandemic. This involves health visits to happen over phone or even video call in tech able communities. Telemedicine also paved way towards opening Electronic-ICU monitoring in several hospitals reducing the exposure and infection transmission of the virus. One branch of medicine that has greatly utilized telemedicine is behavioral health. Due to the rise of domestic violence, anxiety disorders and first-time referrals brought on by the stay at home order and the pandemic, telepsychiatry has greatly been of use. With regulatory barriers lowered and accessibility to more Medicare and Medicaid users, telemedicine is becoming a more appealing option for everybody especially during the time of a global pandemic.
According to Gilead Sciences, multiple experimental drugs such as Remdesivir are being studied and given to patients with severe COVID-19 disease with promising results. This drug acts on the virus via inhibition of RNA synthesis, the makeup of the genetic structure of the coronavirus, thus causing slowing of viral replication. Studies show that patients receiving this drug had a 31% faster recovery time compared to those in placebo. As for the vaccine, the race in producing the vaccine to combat this virus is still active with multiple drug trials already in place. But not until the vaccine is released, this new norm will be the reality.