As far back as history goes, in the Middle Ages, the Black Death was known to come in waves, similar to the bubonic plague. If we go back a century, the Spanish flu, known to be one of the most devastating pandemics in the world, had a second wave that killed significantly more people than the first wave.
One could argue that medical technology was not as advanced before, so second waves of pandemics such as SARS and MERS were successfully avoided. However, those were less nor are the patterns of pandemics the same. Doctors are worried about the mutation of the virus, which can make it more or less lethal.
We do know that infections spread when an infected person comes into contact with a person who is not infected, and to avoid that, the best that every individual can do is to maintain distance and take their precautions to ensure that a second wave does not arrive
Sirpa Talvikki Autio MD
