Although only a few days have passed since a coronavirus vaccine was announced, several myths have already popped up around it.
Some received the news with huge optimism, as if the pandemic has been defeated. Others approached the matter with distrust, trying to belittle the discovery. However, we should approach the issue with a level head.
The discovery of a substance that forces our immune system to produce antibodies that help fight the virus with a 90 percent success rate is a huge success, according to doctors.
Recent heated events in Warsaw have created a dark mood, but we will forget about them in a few days. The pandemic has been going on for many months, and it will most likely continue for just as long while deeply changing our world. Amidst a depression and boredom that will affect us all in the coming months of ongoing restrictions, information about the discovery may be a beacon of hope.
Hope that the coronavirus will not stay with us forever and that, eventually, we’ll be able to return to our normal lives, take off the masks, and go to cinemas, theatres, parties and events.
Yet, the vaccine will not appear in our country today or tomorrow. For now, while remaining hopeful, we must maximally mobilize ourselves to fight the wave of the pandemic that is rushing through Europe. News about the vaccine cannot be a pretext to underestimate the need for safety measures.
Until a significant part of society is vaccinated, the only method of fighting the pandemic is to maintain social distancing, abide by rules of hygiene and wear a mask. We should adhere to these absolutely until millions of vaccines reach our country. Until then, everything is in our hands. The government, military and even the best doctors will not be able to control the situation if every one of us does not start fighting the epidemic as well.
Meanwhile, we should expect that the government will not only guarantee the purchase and safe transport of the vaccine to Poland but that it will also be able to conduct a complicated logistics operation to deliver it to eager citizens.
For now, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced that there will not be a second full national lockdown, as for the first time in two months, the number of infections has dropped. He warned, however, that the infections remain at a very high level.
The government likes to boast and convince us that others look upon us with admiration. But in just a year’s time, citizens will find out for themselves whether or not the government met the challenge and if there is, in fact, any reason for praise.
