Novel coronavirus, which first appeared in humans months ago, may 'never go away', says senior World Health Organization official (WHO). So we may have to learn to "live with it".
While SARS-CoV-2 has already infected more than 4.3 million people worldwide, and killed almost 300,000 of them (officially), we tend to think, probably out of hope, that the virus will only be temporary. But are we deluded? Should we already bear in mind that, given the virulence of the pathogen and its ability to spread, we will now have to "live with it"?
In any case, this is the opinion shared by Michael Ryan, the director of health emergencies at the WHO. During a press conference held virtually from Geneva on Wednesday, the senior official assured that coronavirus could “never disappear and become an endemic disease with which we will have to deal.
During his speech, Michael Ryan notably drew a parallel with the HIV virus. “HIV didn’t go away, but we got along with the virus , he explained. We have developed therapies and implemented preventive measures. Today people don't feel as scared as they used to “.
The situation today is such that, "even if an effective vaccine could be developed – and there is no certainty that it ever will – it will still take a massive effort to bring the virus under control, he added. It's important to stay realistic “.
In fact, today there are many diseases which, despite the existence of effective vaccines or prevention, continue to prevail. Measles, which has made a very noticeable comeback in the world in recent years, is a perfect example.
Hence the importance, as many countries begin to gradually lift their restrictive measures, to maintain a high level of vigilance. “His trajectory is in our hands. It's everyone's concern, we all have to help stop this pandemic" , he concluded, referring directly to the social distancing measures and barrier gestures imposed by many governments.
Especially since, according to a study published this Wednesday in the journal PNAS, if the spread of the new coronavirus by coughing and sneezing is well known, the he invisible microdroplets of saliva, which may also contain virus particles, could remain suspended in the air of an enclosed space for more than ten minutes .
If further research will have to confirm this, it is therefore important to take into consideration, right now, the fact that microdroplets can also play a role in the spread of the pandemic. .
Source:AFP
