Although COVID-19 has been the main topic of conversation this year, some lingering questions surrounding the novel coronavirus still remain.
Founder and CEO of Signature Consultants and Chair of the TechServe Alliance Board of Directors, Jay Cohen, led a conversation on these concerns during the TechServe Connect 2020 virtual event.
While working as a practicing physician, Cohen found himself entering the IT staffing industry. He founded Signature Consultants in 1996.
Cohen – also a Cornell University Medical College alumnus like Dr. Anthony Fauci – shared his thoughts and perspective on the current state of the pandemic, the development of promising vaccines and therapies, and the ever-present question that many people keep posing: When will this all be over?
What’s more understood now in medical research is the significant role that older age and having a pre-existing condition plays on the body’s response to the virus. CDC data shows the number of deaths involving the virus are highest in age groups over 45 years old and conditions such as asthma and high blood pressure increase the risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
While many young people will show no symptoms and will likely recover from the virus if infected, they still have the potential to pass it along to others, Cohen said.
“I think that’s where we as business owners have to be conscious from a medical standpoint about the social implications of making these decisions when we decide to open up our offices,” he explained.
He continued to discuss how the use of ventilators has evolved since the onset of the pandemic as medical experts gain a better understanding of when it is absolutely necessary to put patients on this equipment.
In addition to that, he also shared that the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs has diminished the inflammatory response in COVID-19 patients.
“I think the important thing is the mortality rates are decreasing as medical science starts to learn more about not just the disease, but the implications of how to treat it,” Cohen said.
But cases are on the rise again. Late last month, the U.S. hit its highest daily number of coronavirus cases since the pandemic began, according to The Washington Post. With a second wave already coming, Cohen urged people to be prepared but to remain hopeful due to the robust investment in vaccine development.
“The basic feeling among infectious disease and public health people is that there will be a vaccine,” Cohen said. “With the investment in vaccines, this will be behind us. They will figure this out.”
