New Delhi (NVI): A leading World Health Organisation (WHO) official has said that coronavirus “may never go away” and could become endemic.
During a virtual press briefing in Geneva yesterday, WHO Emergencies Director Michael Ryan said that coronavirus may become just another endemic virus and people will have to learn with it.
Ryan also cited HIV, saying that it has not gone away but the world has come to terms with the virus.
“This virus just may become another endemic virus in our communities. HIV hasn’t gone away – but we have come to terms with the virus,” Ryan said.
“I’m not comparing the two diseases but I think it is important that we’re realistic. I don’t think anyone can predict when or if this disease will disappear,” he added.
Although multiple teams of scientists around the world are currently working on more than 100 potential vaccines, there are other diseases, like measles, that still haven’t been eliminated despite developing vaccines for them.
The Emergencies Director also condemned the attacks on healthcare workers, saying over 35 “quite serious” episodes were recorded in April in 11 countries. “Covid-19 is bringing out the best in us, but it’s also bringing out some of the worst,” he added.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated, “We should all contribute to stop this pandemic.”
However, during the briefing, WHO infectious disease epidemiologist Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove sounded positive and said that the “trajectory of this outbreak” is in our hands.
The coronavirus contagion has so far claimed the lives of nearly 3,00,000 and infected more than 4.3 million around the globe.
