The Ongoing Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic in Puerto Rico
It is not an overstatement to say that the world has been rocked really hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus has managed to affect the lives of everyone on the planet, and people everywhere have had to find ways to adapt to the pandemic. Even though obstacles of every shape and form are presented daily in the quest to defeat the COVID-19 problem, advancements have been made in the field of medicine in the form of various vaccines, which in turn has been used as the main weapon in the fight against this plague. At this moment, almost half the population on Earth have been fully vaccinated, which is over 4 billion people.[1] The vaccines available today have saved thousands of lives, especially of those who are immunocompromised. Puerto Rico is considered a leader in vaccinating against the virus in the US.[2]
The population of Puerto Rico as of 2020 was roughly 2,860,853 people. It is also estimated that as of November 2021, 2.3 million people have been vaccinated on the island, which is around 89.7% of adults. The success Puerto Rico has achieved when it comes to vaccinations has many factors. The political divide that is being seen in the states is not as prevalent here in Puerto Rico. The four major political parties on the island are mostly in agreement on the importance of people getting vaccinated. In the early stages of the pandemic on the island, the National Guard has been an important part when it comes to the successful vaccination rate. The adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard, José J. Reyes, being the instrumental figure during the vaccination efforts.[3]
Back in March of 2020, when the COVID-19 virus was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, the Puerto Rican government took swift action, and an executive order was issued. A lockdown and curfew were established on the island. All commerce were ordered to shut down, with the exemption of essential businesses such as pharmacies, grocery stores and banks to name few. Severe fines were given to those that did not follow the protocols.[4]
During the months that followed, changes were implemented to adapt to the influx of infections that continued to rise in Puerto Rico. Even though the mandates were strict, there were many spikes that occurred on the island. COVID-19 is a very contagious illness. It is very similar to the flu in that both are respiratory illnesses, and both infect in similar ways as well, through respiratory droplets or through coming into contact with infected areas. In specific circumstances, airborne transmission is even possible. The infection rate for the virus is high because humans have never been infected with it before, that is why it is said that the virus is “novel”. Since it is a new infection, the human body has no way of battling the infection. COVID-19 also spreads at a faster rate than the flu. In Puerto Rico, wearing masks became law very early on in the pandemic. Face masks are proven to be an effective way to slow the spread of the virus by reducing the infected particles one might inhale. It also helps that most people in Puerto Rico have followed the mandates and have cooperated in practicing social distancing in public areas, although that has laxed in recent months. Given that more people have grown overconfident due to them having the vaccines and boosters.
Recently, a new variant of COVID-19 has popped up. On December 13, 2021, the first cases of the Omicron variant may have been detected on the island. The three cases were returning from the state of Florida and are under observation in the municipality of Caguas to confirm if it is indeed the new variant.[5] It is highly probable that more cases may follow on the island, given how it seems that it is more infectious than the other variants that have come before.
It is still too early to tell how the Omicron variant will affect the ongoing pandemic. More studies are being conducted to verify how infectious and dangerous the new variant is compared to the others. There are signs that the virus may be milder than the Delta variant, but the World Health Organization says that more studies are needed before coming to any final conclusions. The heavily mutated variant has been shown to impact the effectiveness of some vaccines as well.[6]
At the moment, the Governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, has not given new executive orders to combat the Omicron variant. He has, on the other hand, said that he knew that it was only a matter of time before the variant would appear in Puerto Rico because of the many visitors that arrive every day on the island, and that he will stay vigilant.[7] He also went on to speak on the importance that the people of Puerto Rico receive their booster shots, saying it is an important weapon against this infectious new strain.
Puerto Rico continues to press on, doing its very best to get as many people as possible vaccinated. Puerto Rico’s Department of Health have replaced the National Guard in the distribution of vaccines on the island. The government has not ruled out the possibility of creating an executive order that makes it a requirement for the population to get a booster shot. A person is considered “fully vaccinated” when they have received the full doses of the vaccines they were given. The booster shots are considered necessary in order to combat the new variants that continue to appear.
For now, this is Puerto Rico’s current state of affairs when it comes to the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to how it was on the outset of the pandemic, the COVID-19 vaccine is easily available for anyone that needs it. The younger population are now getting their vaccinations as well and new areas are being set up to make it easier to administer the vaccine to the masses. The continued implementation of new mandates and vaccinations will hopefully continue to help Puerto Rico control the rise of infections on the island.
Steps are being taken in Puerto Rico, as well as in the United States and around the Globe, to put an end to this pandemic. Hopes are high that the pandemic may end as early as 2023, but the White House chief medical advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has stated that it may never completely vanish. It can however become an endemic disease, which means that it can become an infection of low severity.[8] As long as the rules continue to be followed here in Puerto Rico and mandates are respected, than that possibility may become a reality, only time will tell.
[1] Tracking Coronavirus Vaccinations Around the World; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/world/covid-vaccinations-tracker.html
[2] Why Puerto Rico Is A Leader In Vaccinating Against COVID-19; https://www.npr.org/2021/11/23/1058685965/why-puerto-rico-is-a-leader-in-vaccinating-against-covid-19
[3] Mandates. A well-organized campaign. No politics. How Puerto Rico’s vaccine drive turned into a success; https://www.statnews.com/2021/11/03/mandates-a-well-organized-campaign-no-politics-how-puerto-ricos-vaccine-drive-turned-into-a-success/
[4] Puerto Rico Goes on Lockdown, Imposes Mandatory Curfew in Response to Outbreak of COVID-19; https://www.jacksonlewis.com/publication/puerto-rico-goes-lockdown-imposes-mandatory-curfew-response-outbreak-covid-19
[5] Salud Confirma el Primer Caso de Omicron en Puerto Rico; https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/locales/notas/salud-confirma-el-primer-caso-de-omicron-en-puerto-rico/
[6] WHO says omicron variant could change the course of the Covid pandemic; https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/08/who-says-omicron-covid-variant-could-change-the-course-of-the-pandemic.html
[7] “Vigilante” el gobierno a la posibilidad de que se registren más casos positivos a ómicron; https://www.elnuevodia.com/noticias/gobierno/notas/vigilante-el-gobierno-a-la-posibilidad-de-que-se-registren-mas-casos-positivos-a-omicron/
[8] The Covid pandemic could end next year, experts say — here’s what that looks like, and how the U.S. could get there; https://www.cnbc.com/2021/12/09/bill-gates-how-covid-pandemic-ends-and-becomes-endemic-with-omicron.html