WASHINGTON (AP) – Will the coronavirus ever disappear?
Nobody knows for sure. Scientists think the virus that causes COVID-19 could be with us for decades or more, but that doesn’t mean it will continue to pose the same threat.
The virus emerged in late 2019 and it’s hard to predict how it will behave in the long run. But many experts believe it is likely that the disease will eventually go from crisis to a burden like the common cold.
That would happen as people build up immunity over time, either through infection or vaccination. Other viruses have followed a similar path.
The 1918 flu pandemic could also provide clues to the course of COVID-19.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that one-third of the world’s population has become infected with this virus, which originates in birds. Eventually, after infected people died or developed immunity, the virus quickly stopped spreading. It later mutated into a less virulent form, which experts say continues to circulate seasonally.
However, the emergence of new COVID-19 variants could complicate the picture if future virus mutations cause more serious diseases or evade vaccines.
It is unlikely that the virus will ever be completely eradicated, given the possibility that people could become infected again after they are already sick or vaccinated.
The only virus ever eradicated from the human population is smallpox. That’s because people develop permanent immunity to that virus after they become ill or vaccinated.
The AP answers your questions about the corona virus in this seriesSubmit them at: [email protected].
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