It was in 1959 that medical experts first documented an HIV infection on a man from Léopoldville in the Belgian Congo. Since then, medical experts are trying to develop an effective vaccine or treatment to tame this deadly pathogen. However, most of these efforts went in vain, and even in the second decade of the 21st century, AIDS continues to remain as an infection that cannot be cured. Being a sexually transmitted disease, wearing a condom during sexual encounters is one of the best ways by which one can stay away from contracting HIV.
Are face masks new-age condoms to prevent coronavirus?
The coronavirus that apparently originated in a Wuhan seafood market is now creating chaos in all nooks of the world. As there is no effective vaccination or treatment protocol, medical experts are still clueless about how to save the world from this deadly pandemic. As of now, coronavirus has already killed more than 1,60,000 people worldwide, and this figure is expected to go up in the coming days.
Contrary to HIV, coronavirus can be transmitted from one person to another very easily, as it spreads primarily through an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose.
As per medical experts, the only way to stay safe from coronavirus is by maintaining strict social distancing measures. Wearing masks and gloves is another effective way by which coronavirus spread can be combated effectively.
Several medical experts believe that strict social distancing measures should be followed until the day they discover a vaccine for COVID-19. If medical experts fail to develop a vaccine, people will be compelled to follow precautionary measures like wearing masks and social distancing, and thus masks could be soon called new-age condoms among people to stay safe from coronavirus.
Will coronavirus lockdown introduce a new system of governance?
Most of the governments have locked down their respective countries to contain coronavirus. However, several political experts believe that these prolonged lockdowns could introduce a new system of governance, as world leaders will be reluctant to give up the powers they amassed during these days.
"We have absolutely no reason to believe that the government agencies that are eager to expand their power in response to COVID-19 will be willing to see those authorities lapse once the virus is eradicated," said Albert Fox Cahn, the executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project.
