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Four years ago, in February 2020, while we were on a bus traveling through Israel, we ignored two things, that the first deaths had already been reported in the United States, and that, one of the many buses with South Korean tourists that we crossed paths with was spreading the virus in Israel. Our return started quite normally, we went to the airport, we checked our suitcases, waited, we got on the plane. The unexpected happened when we made a stopover in Toronto. I turned on my cell phone and I was surprised to find out that Israel had just announced the immediate closure of its borders while we were in the air. If our flight had been two hours later, we would have had to stay in Israel for a couple of months. A few days after my return, the university ordered all the staff to work from home, which means that in a few weeks it will be four years of our new reality: work from home. Welcome to the post-COVID-19 era.

Its origin

The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has left an indelible mark on global history. Since its inception at the end of 2019, theories about its origin have varied, although most scientists agree that it is a zoonotic virus, probably transmitted from bats to humans, possibly through an intermediate host.

Its effects

The devastating effect of COVID-19 is evident in its impact on public health, the economy and everyday life around the world. Countries such as the United States, Brazil, Peru, India, and several in Europe faced overwhelming waves of infections and deaths. In Italy and Spain, for example, health systems collapsed under the weight of critical cases. In addition, the health crisis exacerbated economic and social inequalities, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations.
But, beyond the tremendous global impact, the effect of the virus on individuals was tremendous. Many lost their lives, and many who survived had sequelae for many months, and even permanent. Nor can we forget the traumatic process that family and friends of those who were infected had to go through, months in the hospital or several visits to the cemetery in a short period.

Its positive side effects

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The development of vaccines against COVID-19 was a monumental scientific achievement. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the process of designing and developing the vaccine resulted in human tests in 42 days since the genome sequence of the virus was published, a record in the history of vaccines. In reality, the rise of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence had already reached a peak in its maturation process, but it was still a better known technology in academic and industrial research environments, whose effects were not visible day by day by the average citizen.
But machine learning and artificial intelligence really proved their usefulness during the pandemic, helping to address various problems in very different ways than in the past. The need facilitated access to large volumes of epidemiological data and advanced machine learning algorithms were implemented to analyze virus trends, predict outbreaks and evaluate the effectiveness of public health measures. Researchers from all over the world got access to the latest data about the virus, managing to develop predictive models and reports that at another time would have been impossible to generate in such a short time.

The messenger RNA technology

The messenger RNA (mRNA) technology, used by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, became a milestone, not only for its speed of development, but also for its effectiveness in the prevention of the disease. These vaccines were added to the traditional ones, such as those of AstraZeneca and Sinovac, expanding the options available to combat the pandemic.
The mRNA technology was not invented for the COVID-19 vaccine, it had been in development for decades. At the time COVID-19 was unleashed, the manufacturers were in the process of testing it for several other vaccines, but the urgent need meant that COVID-19 was the first implementation that reached the market.
This technology is considered as key, not only for the fight against COVID-19, but as a futuristic tool because:

• Allows you to develop a vaccine in a matter of weeks
• It does not need to contain the virus, neither alive nor dead, but only a small part of a protein from the outer membrane of the virus, which causes the human body to create defenses against the virus
• It is considered quite safe, since it does not affect the DNA of the vaccinated individual.

Its negative side effects

However, the pandemic has also been a breeding ground for conspiracy theories. Some of these theories focused on the origin of the virus, suggesting that it was artificially created or escaped from a laboratory. Other claims involved masks and vaccines, some of which were promoted even by religious and political leaders. These theories often claimed that masks were ineffective or that vaccines were a tool for population control or had serious undisclosed side effects, and even that certain cheap commonly used drugs were more effective than the vaccine. One of the most extravagant theories I heard in the Hispanic world was related to 5G technology, suggesting that through 5G technology vaccinated people could be controlled, despite the total lack of evidence.

Its legacy

I don’t know if we can call the post-covid world yet, but I think we can analyze these past four years and appreciate its impact, both positive and negative.
COVID-19 has not only been a health challenge, but also a phenomenon that has exposed vulnerabilities in our health systems, has driven scientific advances and has given rise to countless conspiracy theories. While the world continues to deal with its repercussions, it is essential that science-based information guide our responses and policies.