Almost eight months after the first wave, back in march, we once again face this reality: the terrifying reality of the second wave, starting nowhere else but Europe. Even though we saw the cases going up and down throughout these months, by the end of october and the beginning of november, the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases is bringing the idea of a new wave, the second one.
And yet, you might be wondering: why does it happen? Why are we watching the whole world fall into a second wave?
First of all, we need to take in consideration the human behavior, and how it responds to the pandemic in general. That means that after a few months, there’s an increasing number of people who believe that wearing a mask isn’t important, that we no longer have to social distance each other, that we should be throwing huge parties or simply… does not believe in the disease itself. It’s here that lies the danger: the disbelief, the lack of physical distancing, hand-washing or mask-wearing.
The precautions are lacking in a few places, which could be a big part of the reason why we’re watching the society falling through a second coronavirus wave. In the areas in which people are not maintaining safety measures, cases are on the rise. In one way or another, it’s all about how people behave during times such as this one.
There’s also the dangers of reopening establishments with no precautions whatsoever. Bars, restaurants and shops in general reopened its doors during spring and summer, to make up for the days they had to keep it closed. As people were clearly eager to go out and enjoy their “normal lives”, as we know, these places tried to get back to their regular activities. What we didn’t quite think about is that the virus didn’t stop spreading by this time either, which means that reopening places without caution could’ve been another main reason why Europe was the first continent to deal with a second wave.
At last, we also need to take in consideration that it’s “easier” to track down the virus now, compared to the beginning of the year. While we had to wait a bit longer to diagnose someone with COVID-19, by now we understand its symptoms way easier and quicker. Liking it or not, we’re more aware of the virus itself by now, which helps to understand the cases and the number of deaths by country or state.
With that being said, there are a few more things we need to address about the start of the second wave in Europe: the fact that now they’re in the winter season.
Once again we need to take in consideration human behavior, but this time, there’s also another factor. As the COVID-19 is essentially a “type of flu”, in places where clusters aren’t out of control, the number of infected people will increase. It’s way too early to affirm anything, such as saying that it’s a seasonal disease, just like the flu itself, but we know that infections caused by respiratory viruses, do get worse during winter, when our self defense is a bit low.
With that being said, yes, it could help increasing numbers, but that’s not the only main factor in the game right now.
Now that you know more about the second wave in Europe, here’s a few tips to prepare yourself for the spikes or a possible second wave here, in Brazil:
- Social distancing
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Keep practicing social distancing. Don’t attend big parties or events. Take your time and if you can, stay at home.
- Wear a mask
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Wear a mask! Every time you need to go out, wear your mask and do not take it off.
- Wash your hands
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Wash your hands regularly, and if there’s no sink in sight, use hand sanitizer. But do prioritize some soap and water!
- Keep your vaccines in date
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Make sure to keep your vaccines in date as well, including the flu shot.
- Keep an eye out for symptoms
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If you experience any symptoms, make sure to keep in touch with a doctor.
- Keep protecting yourself and those around you!
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Having empathy at this point is essential to understand that by voluntarily leaving home to gather, you put yourself and everyone around you in danger. So let us be aware until we are more secure.
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The article above was edited by Amanda Ardigó.
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