What would happen if a covid-19 Wave 2 requiring a serious lockdown gets disrupted by a major natural disaster? Where hundreds of thousands to millions of people suddenly have to evacuate to parts unknown when a health quarantine is supposed to be in place?

The short answer is: Nothing good.

With total covid-19 cases worldwide having punched above 10 million and the US now experiencing 50,000(!) new infections per day, the end to the pandemic looks nowhere in sight.

For those hoping a vaccine will ride to our rescue, we’re stuck in a cycle of good news/bad news as nearly every promising initial result is soon followed by a list of setbacks. Complicating the matter is that former covid patients appear to be losing their antibodies quickly — suggesting that lasting immunity may not be a realistic expectation.

Many US states are still in their first waves, especially those in the South and West seeing re-surging infections. The battle there remains focused on preventing things from getting out of control and overwhelming the medical system.

But it’s possible that previously hard hit areas like New York, Italy and Spain may now have sufficient immunity to avoid a second wave. It’s too soon to know for certain, but if true, this will be very welcome news.

Yes, people are tired of being cooped indoors and wearing masks. Summer is here and they want to get outside, spend time with loved ones, and get back some normalcy of life.

But the Honey Badger virus ‘don’t care’. Covid-19 sees our loosening restrictions as a welcome invitation and is burrowing in with enthusiasm.

Making matters worse for us human hosts, a new strain of the virus — the D614G mutation — has been identified. It appears to be more contagious and serious than most previous strains.