Abstract
It is more than a little overwhelming to reflect on everything that has happened since December 31, 2019. As we move into the second year of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is hard to believe how much we have learned in just over a year. Scientists all around the world have stepped forward to join a fight against another species, and the pace of research we have seen during that fight is unmatched in history. Early in the pandemic, in articles like this one, we asked questions about potential vaccines and variants, never thinking that we might have answers to those questions sometimes even before our words were published.
Since the first description of what is now known as COVID-19 and the soon after discovery of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), we have learned how this disease and the virus that causes it differ from that of SARS coronavirus. Because of the pandemic, we now have mRNA-based vaccines approved for use in humans, and interestingly, many nonscientists now understand the concepts of neutralizing antibodies and messenger RNA. In record time, we have progressed from wondering how fast a vaccine could be made, to wondering whether the multiple approved vaccines will still be effective next year, or even next week. In most parts of the world, we are seeing a race between vaccines and variants, and many are concerned that we might soon see the emergence of a true immune escape variant before we can get this pandemic under control. The virus is already adapting to its new host, and in doing so, it has figured out how to spread faster, and is starting to learn how to evade the immune system. We are speaking in terms of variants of concern and vaccine passports, phrases we never used in 2019. This week, the main question is whether or not there is a causal link between blood clots and one of the vaccines approved for use in much of the world. Now that millions of doses of vaccine are being injected globally, we should soon see exactly how well these vaccines work at actually preventing infection and transmission. Despite bumps in the road, there is optimism now based on the real-world effectiveness of the vaccines, and we might soon be able to forecast a time when we will again be able to live with less restrictions on our lives. However, if this virus has taught us anything, it is that it is unpredictable and can change on us just when we think we can relax. Even now as I write this editorial, restrictions are loosening in some cities and countries, while simultaneously tightening in others.
One of my first tasks as editor-in-chief of Viral Immunology was to launch a special issue on coronaviruses. We were delighted to see an overwhelming response from the research community with many excellent articles submitted. Unfortunately, not unexpectedly, there was some redundancy in theme, so not all review articles submitted could be considered. I want to sincerely thank the authors and the reviewers who, many of whom while working from home under lockdown conditions, took the time to write and review articles in order for us to generate two special issues on coronaviruses. In this first issue, we focus on COVID-19 vaccine development and the immune response against SARS-CoV-2. We have assembled a list of articles dealing with diagnostics, vaccine development, and herd immunity, as well as antibody and T cell responses against the virus. For the second special issue, we have compiled a set of articles focusing on pathogenesis and therapeutics. In that issue, we review the involvement of interferons in COVID-19 pathogenesis, as well as the role of cytokines, and toll-like receptors as therapeutic targets for treatment of COVID-19.
Despite the prolonged stress, anxiety, and sense of loss we are all experiencing due to the pandemic, there is cause for optimism. The scientific community has risen to the challenge and continues to do so. No one knows when this will be over, or what the world will look like when the pandemic finally ends. Most members of the scientific community assume we are going to be living with this virus for some time yet, but one thing that is clear is that the understanding of viral immunology and the development and rollout of numerous vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 will be the key to ending the pandemic and getting back to some kind of normal.