The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has remained a global enigma because, whilst scientists battle round the clock to produce vaccines, new strains of the virus emerge defying all known cures to eradicate its existence.

The worldwide trails of deaths and escalating geometric increase left in its wake daily have inundated everyone with a devastating and unparalleled confusion as to whether a third wave is imminent.

The arrival of the virus in late December 2019 saw world economic powers uniting irrespective of political and economic differences to join forces in enabling scientists with financial support and emergency approval to provide vaccines to alleviate the impact of the raging virus. However, as countries of the world over-prepared for the management of the second wave, none ever anticipated the shocker of another variant of the virus, capable of abrogating the potency of the much-awaited vaccine.

Driving home the impact, a well-documented report from Eons Intelligence on November 3, 2020, titled: "COVID-19: Is the time ripe for status quo", persistently warned the nation of the threat of a deadlier second wave, whose geometric spread across the country would threaten the existence of all and sundry if the current dispensation continued to throw caution to the wind.

Read Also: COVID-19 STATISTICS: IS THE TIME RIGHT TO REVERT BACK TO STATUS QUO?

According to a report by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which emphasises that despite well-researched innovations springing up in the health sector, scientific inventions and developments over the years have failed to either fully explain or prevent the outbreak of infectious diseases and viruses. The above-referenced report may explain why the much-anticipated coronavirus vaccines' production has failed to take cognisance of new variants' outbreaks. Therefore, the global hope entrusted to scientifically produced vaccines as the sole solution to curb the menace posed by the outbreak of a virus could be a fight in futility.

In its well-researched and documented 2021 annual report and predictions, Eons Intelligence has succinctly incorporated a step-by-step guide on major emergency procedures that the government could urgently adopt in the fight against the COVID-19 virus. Eons Intelligence was fair in its annual projections report when it projected 200,000 new cases in 2021. However, to avoid creating a void atmosphere of fear and gloom among the citizenry, the report attributed the 200,000 cases as an annual figure against a half-year spike. The current trend is, as explained in the calculations below:

From the statistics above, the government's effort is commendable in reducing COVID deaths to a quarterly increase of 30% because the health facilities can still contain all active cases.

However, celebrating the reduction of COVID 19 deaths too early, the Nigerian government failed to take a cue from developed countries where clinics' and health facilities' became overwhelmed resulting in an escalated death rate reported. This trend may likely remain with the active cases skyrocketing at a record-high percentage of 741% each quarter.

Eons Intelligence in its 2021 annual projections report highlighted possible challenges that may arise on vaccine arrival, and dispensing with the drugs under the heading: "COVID-19: The Virus Versus the Vaccine. The Challenges Ahead", suggesting that the arrival of the vaccine into the country is not a guarantee to the total eradication of the virus, given that even the countries that manufactured the vaccine still struggle to manage their increasing cases.

In a country where the consumption of herbs is rife, with the ready availability of fruits and vegetables unconsciously forming Nigeria's primary staple food, it is not surprising that a recovery rate of 58% is feasible.

Several questions however have left the masses dazed, and begging for urgent answers.

In the face of the biting recession, heightened unemployment, unabated poverty and hunger, why prioritize investing N400billion on coronavirus vaccines? While the virus has taken 1,485 in a year, insecurity has cut short over 300,000 dreams, with the growing statistics of deaths from poverty, suicide, infrastructural decay remaining elusive. Is the vaccine a sine qua non to the total eradication of the virus in the country?

Why is NAFDAC pending the approval of local remedies currently capable of achieving over 58% recovery rate?

Why are our indigenous resident professionals yet to be supported with finances and requisite approvals to manufacture environmental friendly local remedies to eradicate the virus?

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