The joyous news of Pfizer’s effective COVID-19 vaccine may be a ray of light in the dark times of the pandemic stirring enormous global euphoria and enthusiasm but the harsh reality is different and does not permit complacency.

The much-desired vaccine if all goes well will be available to a limited number of people by the end of the year.

Until then the only thing certain is that the coming months will bring many trials for everyone.

Experts confirm that the vaccine will not be a panacea.

In order to avert a flare up of the epidemic we shall have to comply with protective measures.

In other words we shall have to learn to live with COVID-19 for a much longer time.

Even now in the midst of a lockdown and with the number of dead and intubated patients breaking one record after another, many of our fellow citizens appear not to have understood the critical nature of the situation and are trying to cunningly circumvent the rules.

The picture in Athens on the first day of the lockdown looked like anything but a lockdown and was not at all similar to the March lockdown during which people actually stayed home.

Let us all then prepare for a heavy winter.