Audrey Hinchcliffe | COVID-19: Baptism of fire – Science and technology to the rescue

WE NEED to step back a little into the history of the coronavirus pandemic to appreciate where we are with sickness, deaths, testing and vaccines and as yet no cure. Then we may not be too sceptical of our responsibility to control the spread of the viral infection by adhering to protocols and be vaccinated, understanding that failure to do so can be someone’s death sentence – ourselves, family member, co-worker, or neighbour.

When the coronavirus or SARS – CoV2 became of international concern on January 30, 2020, and subsequently declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, fear gripped the world. All attention turned to Wuhan, Hubei, China, a place which was previously mostly unknown to us but now seemed to be right in our backyard.

It is said that the virus which came from bats in a meat market had infected human beings, and before we could wrap our heads around what the whole thing was about, the then called novel coronavirus became the topic of news around the world, and locally we were also trying to figure it out.

While countries were focusing on China, the virus-causing COVID-19 had already started its rampage across continents, entering every country by all means of transportation, connecting via travel whether by land, sea and air for business and vacation, cruise, and cargo vessels alike. This is the background against which science and technology came to the rescue. Confusion reigned as names of the virus were bandied about, including as mentioned before SARS-CoV-2, previously called 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-N-CoV) also, called human coronavirus 2019 (HCov-19 or CoV-19). The name settled on for the disease is now COVID-19 caused by the novel (new) coronavirus.

This background should be the reference point for information and public education.

LACK OF INFORMATION

Among the reasons for fear of the vaccine is that it was developed too quickly so it cannot be good or safe. This stance which is being fuelled by lack of information must be countered by information on the research and development that went into the vaccines, for example, first out the block towards a vaccine was the firm Bio N Tech which partnered with Pfizer to produce the now much sought-after Pfizer brand. But what of Moderna, Oxford AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson which we commonly hear about in this part of the hemisphere? There are other brands out in China, Russia, Cuba. I refer you to the Wikipedia-list of COVID-19 vaccine authorisation where there are about 25 named ones, some fully authorised, others for emergency use and some not yet decided.

The origins of vaccine traced through trials and subsequent regulatory approvals should form part of public education programmes. It may not change the mind of anti-vaxxer, hesitancy and reluctance, but at least we must be satisfied that we have made the effort to inform and educate more persons who may become advocates for encouraging adherence to protocols and ultimately convince others to take the vaccine. We must rebuff efforts of anti-vaxxers to influence our thinking that vaccines are bad, that science must be doubted. They magnify false information heard on the motive for the vaccine, such as changing DNA and putting magnetic metal in our bodies; rather than the true motive of reducing infection. The exaggeration of harm, and some reasons for the curtailment of our freedom are among other myths to be dispelled.

Policies and public education must include messages on both sides, strong enough to override the messages from anti-vaxxers. Their messages cannot be allowed to influence the minds of unsuspecting people and take away lives. After all, what’s in a name? The use of vaccines and their efficacy are the key to stem the tide of death and dying. Is it to be understood that with over 2,000 of our citizens dead it is OK? I think not. Science and technology that has come to our rescue must be respected and embraced. I am particularly impressed by the partnerships formed in this regard to develop, conduct trials, produce, and distribute pharmaceuticals, including vaccines, such as the well-touted cases of Pfizer, Bio N Tech and Oxford AstraZeneca, and of course the many others.

BIRTH OF THE VACCINES

When the team of Dr Ozlem Turecia, German physician and CMO of Bio N Tech and her spouse Uğur Şahin, a German oncologist and immunologist, chief executive officer of Bio N Tech co-founded this biotechnology company in 2008, little did they know that they would be at the forefront of saving the world from the baptism of fire – COVID-19. Their main fields were cancer research and immunology, and they also had their sights set on developing a malaria vaccine. It was from their ongoing research experience they drew, to develop a vaccine to fight against the coronavirus, in order to decrease the rates of infection, disease and death worldwide.

Regarding Oxford AstraZeneca, one Andrew Pollard was travelling in a taxi in France to meet with a group for a presentation on typhoid. His thoughts immediately went to the coronavirus when he realised that something catastrophic was likely to happen to change our lives forever, starting in 2020, hence a vaccine was needed. Like fellow scientists who founded the Pfizer – Bio N Tech vaccine, he formed partnerships and became among the faces of the world’s pandemic vaccine efforts. While he and his partners may have gone a different root from Pfizer – Bio N Tech with the foundation on which to develop a vaccine, the end result is the same – reducing infection and retarding variants. Testing, manufacturing, distributing, administering, seeking approvals all went on the same trajectory. (Ref. bmy.com/coronavirus/usage).

I am amazed that with so much information available, from which I drew on, only two examples of how we came to having vaccines to fight the coronavirus, it is being overridden by conspiracy theories, falsehoods, conjured up misinformation and the abundance of dark places from which information is being gathered.

The fact is the coronavirus and its variants have at least got to be tamed and the only long-term solutions are observing protocols and taking vaccines. The latter is losing the misinformation war. My concern is like the scientists who developed the vaccines, there must be those who are the authors of cohesive messages for information and education. I don’t have the answers, but COVID-19 is personal to me, stemming from the loss of colleagues and watching the suffering of others. Hence, I am contributing basic information to help inform the way forward, particularly for vaccine requirements as “mandate” is a bad word, COVID-19 and vaccines need advocates.

Audrey Hinchcliffe is the CEO and founder of Manpower and Maintenance Services Ltd Group. Send feedback to ceo@manpowerja.com or columns@gleanerjm.com.