Living in pandemic times

Abstract

The world has changed forever. This statement may sound a little clichéd, but more and more scientists and policy makers around the globe perceive this as an inevitable fact. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 also provided a similar feeling, but nothing compares to what we are living today. Even after a reliable vaccine against COVID-19 (the disease inflicted by the virus SARS-CoV-2) is developed and made available for billions of people, the fear of another outbreak that might again take the world hostage-perhaps being even more contagious and deadlier-will be in our minds and passed on to future generations.