WASHINGTON (AP) – Will the coronavirus ever go away?
Nobody knows for sure. Scientists believe that the virus that causes COVID-19 could be with us for decades or more, but that does not mean it will continue to pose the same threat.
The virus appeared at the end of 2019 and it is difficult to predict how it will behave in the long run. But many experts believe that it is possible for the disease to eventually go from a crisis to a discomfort like the common cold.
This would happen as people increase their immunity over time, either through infection or vaccination. Other viruses followed a similar path.
The 1918 flu pandemic could also provide clues to the evolution of COVID-19.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that a third of the world’s population has been infected with the virus, which comes from birds. Eventually, after infected people died or developed immunity, the virus stopped spreading rapidly. It later moved to a less virulent form, which experts say continues to circulate seasonally.
However, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants could complicate the picture of whether future viral mutations cause more severe diseases or evade vaccines.
The virus is unlikely to be completely eliminated, given the possibility that people can be re-infected after they have already been sick or vaccinated.
The only virus that has ever been eradicated from the human population is smallpox. This is because people develop lasting immunity to the virus after they become ill or vaccinated.
__
The AP answers the questions about coronavirus in this series. Send them to: [email protected].
Read the previous viral questions:
When will children be able to receive COVID-19 vaccines?
How would COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers adapt to the variants?
How do we know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe?