The Journey to the Other Side of COVID-19

Everyone is tired of COVID-19. This pandemic has been frustrating, exhausting, dangerous, and for many, completely devastating. To say that we as a global community were unprepared for this virus is an understatement. While there have been many variables that have contributed to the widespread COVID-19 infections, we have to face one serious fact: It will be a long time before we get through the effects of the virus, and we need to understand that COVID-19 testing will continue to be part of our lives.

Did we learn from history?

When the virus first became a worldwide topic many began to refer to the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic that killed 500 million around the globe. It’s difficult to make comparisons against a 100+ year old virus as life was completely different during that time period. To begin with, many didn’t have access to fresh running water, science was not as developed as it is now, the idea of wearing a mask was in its infancy, there weren’t any methods to test for the virus, vaccines weren’t available. and there was preparation for and then later a World War. The population migration in the U.S. had reached a point where a majority of people were living in urban areas so that transmission and infection was easier. Each of these variables contributed to the massive outbreak of the Spanish Flu. One of the key aspects to note is that the government ordered schools, theaters, and businesses to shut down and those cities that practiced social distancing showed a distinct reduction in the spread of the virus. As masks became more widely available there were edicts that went out requiring everyone to wear a mask as part of the new health guidelines. There were even marketing campaigns designed to “shame” people that refused to wear a mask as they demonstrated their lack of care for fellow Americans. Some cities fined people for not wearing a mask. It took almost three years for the devastation and death to end from the Spanish Flu.

Fast forward to the current time with the COVID-19 virus. We consider ourselves to be scientifically and technologically far more advanced than our ancestors of 1918, and yet we have experienced newer problems that has allowed the expansion of COVID-19 infection. Initial mishandling of dealing with the virus was a major contributor, but when you add in the massive misinformation (which are total lies), disinformation (stories with only a kernel of truth), conspiracy theories about the virus, refusal to wear a mask for political reasons, refusal to accept vaccines, and total denial for any change, it becomes a toxic formula that favors COVID-19 infection. As some people questioned the validity of the science and medical experts, millions more became ill and/or died.

Actions Make a Difference

Through the last few years there have been diligent companies moving forward on the development of COVID-19 testing products and others that were creating the vaccines that promised hope.

Companies such as TruMedical that have devoted 30 years in the medical services and supply industry stepped up to the plate to create the desperately needed point of care testing products of CareStart™ Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Test that can produce results in 10 minutes and FaStep® Covid-19 Point-of-care Antibody Test that offer results in 15 minutes. With public safety as a priority concern, TruMedical is facilitating critical products that are desperately needed by medical organizations.

Our Lives Are Changed, but We Can Handle It

COVID-19 has changed the lives of everyone in the world and as new variants and mutations of the virus show up, we can anticipate that this will not go away quickly. The scientific community is expressing reserved optimism regarding the vaccines and yet they are also talking about long term vaccine efficacy. COVID-19 has created an entirely new form of existence for everyone. When told that we couldn’t be with family and friends we developed creative and inventive ways to celebrate on line and near in-person. When we couldn’t go to work or school many redesigned daily routines to accomplish goals with net learning and jobs. Although a lot are adverse to change, when it’s thrust upon us we become more than we were before, delving into imagination in making it work.

We must understand the reality that COVID-19 is not going away soon and as we adapt to wearing masks, social distancing, and wiping everything down with antiseptic, we must also include that testing for the virus will be a continuing process. Viruses have been around for millions of years and are very adept at surviving. We aren’t sure about the direction of COVID-19 but we do know that it relies on thriving in people. The goal with any pandemic is to remove the virus’ ability to multiply and with the advent of vaccines combined with time, we will get through this.