The virus has been around the world for about 180 days, shutting us all down and shutting down millions of jobs – as well as leaving a huge death toll.
In fact, it didn't explode with a massive, viral "Big Bang." Rather, it was like a slow-motion horror, with a rather quiet and unsettling beginning.
Depending on who "patient zero" was and how the person actually became infected and began spreading the virus, the timeline of the virus's emergence could vary.
There are no answers, just questions
Half a year later, numerous questions are swirling in everyone's heads as they emerge from the lockdown.
Scientists, given the limited time SARS-CoV-2 has been around the globe, do not have ready answers to those questions.
There is only hope that a vaccine, at least from one of the companies that have begun testing them, could be ready as early as October.
What if it takes longer? What if no one believes in its efficacy, the testing process, or even the manufacturer?
What if this present-day "suffering" mysteriously disappears, as its "twin" SARS-CoV-1 did?
However, complexity and uncertainty are the defining features of this virus.
Who was "patient zero"?
This question could go on for a long time, perhaps forever, and may never get a proper answer.
There were reports that the first suspected case was diagnosed on December 1, 2019 in Wuhan, China.
So, by conclusion, given the virus's average five-day incubation period, already known to science, the infection occurred a few days ago, in November.
And there had been confusion by local Chinese officials in the city of Wuhan in how they dealt with Chinese clinicians, doctors who raised the alarm about an "atypical pneumonia" they had seen in a growing number of patients in December.
The Chinese have admitted, albeit belatedly, their “shortcomings” in handling the previous chapter of this pandemic, penalizing some officials and hailing Dr. Li Wenliang, the whistleblower who died of COVID-19, as a hero.
The information raised speculation and conspiracy theories – about an alleged “biological weapons” attack or an accidental release of the virus from a high-security laboratory in Wuhan.
US President Donald Trump has issued a number of accusations against the WHO, severing America's relationship with the world body after accusing it of being a "puppet" of China.
Some scientists, on the other hand, point to evidence that it has a natural origin, rather than being man-made.
While the "clashes" continue around this, scientists have continued to excel in conducting research around the world and gaining better control of the pandemic, reports the Telegraph.
Despite major studies conducted in the last six months published in The Lancet, Chinese Medical Association, Jama, CDC, Science, NEJM and PLOS, scientific knowledge about this pathogen remains extremely lacking.
Mysteries
Scientists are grappling with key questions. For some, this new coronavirus is quite unlike any known or seen before: SARS-CoV-2 behaves like the flu in terms of ease of transmission (and causing a deadly type of pneumonia in severe cases), while it “spreads silently” and can be passed on even when people are “asymptomatic.”
However, in terms of structure, origin in bats, and general symptoms, it is similar to other previously known coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS.
Adding to the uncertainty were the sometimes conflicting guidelines and public pronouncements issued by the WHO about the disease.
For example, on April 2, 2020, WHO officials said that there is no need for healthy people to wear masks.
The CDC had also issued guidelines stating that masks should only be worn by those who are truly sick and exhibiting symptoms (cough, cold, and sore throat) or by hospital staff who are exposed to a high rate of infection.
But later, both the WHO and the CDC "reevaluated" the guidelines, especially when data emerged that micro-particles can stay in the air longer than previously thought, reports the Telegraph.
The unknown
Over the past six months, much has been learned about the virus. But many questions remain unanswered.
It may take some time for scientists to unravel its mysteries. And it would help a lot if the following questions were answered:
Who was 'patient zero'? When and how did COVID-19 really start?
Why do some people get sick more than others?
Why do children seem to be less susceptible to COVID-19?
What role do children play in the spread of the virus?
What “amount” of the virus must affect you to make you sick?
For those who recover, how long would their immunity last?
What causes an overactive immune response in some patients, sometimes leading to death?
What is the true count of people who were infected – to know the actual fact of fatality and infection rates?
What is the real percentage of those who contract the virus who have no symptoms (asymptomatic) and are so-called "silent spreaders"?
What policies should be implemented with essential pregnant workers?
How long should you wear masks as a precaution?
How can the world work together to better respond to the next potential outbreak?
What should be done to prevent viruses from "leaking" from laboratories?
What is the best way to harmonize international surveillance of emerging viruses with pandemic potential?
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