This archive report was first published on 14 May 2020.
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stark warning: the novel coronavirus may be with us for a long time, much like HIV.
Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Dr Mike Ryan cautioned against trying to predict when the virus would disappear, saying, "It is important to put this on the table: this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities, and this virus may never go away."
Dr Ryan's comments come as the virus has infected 4.3 million people worldwide and led to nearly 300,000 deaths, with Europe and the US being the worst-hit regions.
Even if a vaccine is found, controlling the virus will require a massive effort, Dr Ryan noted, adding that "HIV has not gone away - but we have come to terms with the virus."
Dr Ryan also expressed skepticism about predicting when the disease will disappear, saying, "I don't think anyone can predict when this disease will disappear."
The WHO has been releasing guidelines on how operations should resume as lockdown measures continue to be eased across different countries globally, including public health and social measures in schools and the workplace.
As transmission intensity declines, some countries have begun to gradually re-open workplaces to maintain economic activity, with Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) resuming passenger flights.
However, hospitals have also recorded an influx of patients, and the WHO advises that protective measures, including physical distancing, handwashing, respiratory etiquette, and, potentially, thermal monitoring, have to be established.
There are currently more than 100 potential vaccines in development, but Dr Ryan noted that even with vaccines, illnesses like measles still haven't been eliminated.
