Corona virus: "It is likely that Covid-19 will never disappear," said WHO

Corona virus: "It is likely that Covid-19 will never disappear," said WHO

Friday, July 19, 2020

UPDATimes - The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that Covid-19 is likely to never disappear and will exist for a long time.

"This virus is only likely to be an endemic virus in our community, and this virus is likely never to disappear," WHO Emergency Director Michael Ryan told a virtual press conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

When most of the world's citizens hope that this virus will soon disappear, Ryan said that the world needs to prepare for long-term battles.

"I think it is important that we are realistic and I don't think anyone can predict when this disease will disappear," he said.

If a vaccine is found later, according to him, global implementation will require "massive efforts", he added.

He said, without a vaccine, it might take years for humans to build sufficient levels of immunity against the virus.

He gave an example of measles, which does not go extinct even though there is a vaccine to prevent humans from contracting the disease.

On Thursday (5/14), positive cases of corona virus in the world reached 4.3 million, with a mortality rate of 296,252 people.

WHO Director General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesu, stressed that it was still possible to control Covid-19 with great effort.

"The direction is in our hands, and this is everyone's business. We must all contribute to stopping this pandemic," he said.

WHO epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove cautioned: "We need to have the mindset that we need time to get out of this pandemic."

Their warning surfaced when a number of countries began to relax the rules of regional quarantine or lockdown. Various leaders also began to consider the right way and time to reopen their economy.

Dr. Tedros warned there was no guarantee that easing of social restrictions would not trigger a second wave of the spread of Covid-19.

"Many countries want to get out of the pandemic with a variety of steps. But our recommendation is still a warning that each country must be at the highest level of [vigilance]."

WHO Emergency Director Michael Ryan added: "There is a kind of miraculous thought that a lockdown is functioning perfectly and opening a lockdown will be good. Both are full of danger."

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