Novel Coronavirus May Never Disappear: Dr Mike Ryan, WHO

The WHO emergencies director, Dr Mike Ryan, has said that the novel coronavirus might never go away even after a vaccine is found. He has also warned against trying to predict when the virus would disappear.

He added that the Corona virus might become just another endemic virus in every community.

“HIV has not gone away - but we have come to terms with the virus”, he said while adding that he does not believe if anyone can predict when this disease will disappear. The WHO official said, "Even if a vaccine is found, controlling the virus will require a 'massive effort”. There are currently more than 100 potential vaccines in development - but Dr Ryan noted there are other illnesses, such as measles, that still haven't been eliminated despite there being vaccines for them.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stressed it was still possible to control the virus, with effort. "The trajectory is in our hands, and it's everybody's business, and we should all contribute to stopping this pandemic”, he said.

The WHO epidemiologist Maria van Kerkhove said, "We need to get into the mindset that it is going to take some time to come out of this pandemic”. Their stark remarks come as several countries began to gradually ease lockdown measures, and leaders consider the issue of how and when to reopen their economies. "There is some magical thinking going on that lockdowns work perfectly and that unlocking lockdowns will go great. Both are fraught with dangers," Dr Ryan said.

Dr Tedros warned that there was no guaranteed way of easing restrictions without triggering a second wave of infections. "Many countries would like to get out of the different measures," the WHO boss said. "But our recommendation is still the alert at any country should be at the highest level possible," he added. About 3, 00,000 people worldwide are reported to have died with COVID-19, and more than 4.3m cases recorded.