Society

‘This virus may never go away,’ WHO says

The coronavirus that causes COVID-19 could become endemic like HIV, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday, warning against any attempt to predict how long it would keep circulating and calling for a “massive effort” to counter it.

“It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away,” WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan told an online briefing.

“I think it is important we are realistic and I don’t think anyone can predict when this disease will disappear,” he added. “I think there are no promises in this and there are no dates. This disease may settle into a long problem, or it may not be.”

However, he said the world had some control over how it coped with the disease, although this would take a “massive effort” even if a vaccine was found — a prospect he described as a “massive moonshot”.

More than 100 potential vaccines are being developed, including several in clinical trials, but experts have underscored the difficulties of finding vaccines that are effective against coronaviruses.

Ryan noted that vaccines exist for other illnesses, such as measles, that have not been eliminated.

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added: “The trajectory is in our hands, and it’s everybody’s business, and we should all contribute to stop this pandemic.”

Ryan said “very significant control” of the virus was required in order to lower the assessment of risk, which he said remained high at the “national, regional and global levels”.

R

Leave a Comment

Recent Posts

Mohamed Ali Fennira: industry committee denied renewal of exploitation of Ashtart and Rahmoura fields (Statement)

In a statement granted to Tunisie Numérique, MP and member of the Committee on Industry,…

54 minutes ago

Rising temperatures: Forecast for next three days in all governorates

During the next three days, temperatures will surpass the average for June, exceeding normal by…

1 heure ago

NATO appoints Mark Rutte as next chief

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Council decided on Wednesday to name Mark Rutte, the current…

1 heure ago

Tunisia – Gafsa: Arrest of offender who attacked pharmacy

An offender known to the security authorities of the National Security district of Gafsa, born…

2 heures ago

Two ministers on working visit to Zaghouan

The Ministers of Tourism Mohamed Moez Belhassine and Youth Kamel Deguiche are making a working…

2 heures ago

Tunisian Embassy in Brussels reacts to Josep Borrell’s statements

The Embassy stressed that the Tunisian government legitimately represents the aspirations of the Tunisian people…

2 heures ago

This website uses cookies.