A first haircut for many.

Reflecting on month 6 of the new reality.
After 6 months, we know a lot more about the virus but there is still a lot more
we do not know. We know it rears its ugly head when we let our guards down
and if it goes unchecked, it will eventually infect all the world’s inhabitants.
We will then have herd immunity but at what cost?

We still don’t know for sure how long the immunity last after catching the
infection, studies have shown that the antibodies may wane after several months,
but that doesn’t necessary mean there is no immunity. As the immune system
has a memory and when faced with another infection, it may respond briskly
to prevent a reinfection. There is also cellular immunity which doesn’t depend
on antibodies. We just don’t know yet.

The most promising vaccines are in phase 3 showing they were able to elicited an
immune response. Yet we still don’t know whether that actually translates into
real world protection in the population. There is a group called One Day Earlier
with brave volunteers from the world over who are willing to take the vaccine and then
be exposed deliberately to the virus to speed up the development.

Recent blood tests in Canada shows that the asymptomatic infection rate is low
and our goal will not be herd immunity but to hold the line until a vaccine is
available for all. We must all be proud of how the international science community
has rallied and worked together to find new treatments and a vaccine to help
us get back to the old normal.