WHO: Covid-19 will coexist with humans and evolve like the virus that causes the flu pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to “be with us” as the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to mutate in unvaccinated countries and hopes of eradicating the virus fade, WHO officials said.
“I think the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be with us and will evolve like the virus that causes pandemic influenza. It will evolve to become one of the other viruses that affect us,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of the U.S. Department of Health Emergencies.World Health Organization (WHO), said at a press conference.
WHO officials have previously said that vaccines do not guarantee the world will eradicate SARS-CoV-2 like other viruses. Some of the country's leading health experts, including White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci and Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, have warned that the world will have to live with Covid-19 forever, like the flu.
“People say we’re going to eliminate or eradicate the virus. No, we’re not going to do that. It’s very unlikely,” Mr. Ryan said.
WHO officials say that if the world had taken early steps to stop the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the current situation could have been very different.
“We had an opportunity at the beginning of the pandemic. It shouldn’t have been this bad,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19./.
