WASHINGTON (AP) – Will the coronavirus ever go away?
No one knows for sure. Scientists think the virus that causes COVID-19 may be with us for decades or more, but that doesn’t mean it continues to pose the same threat.
The virus emerged in late 2019 and it is difficult to predict how it will behave in the long run. But many experts believe the disease is likely to end up going from a crisis to a nuisance like the common cold.
This would happen when people build up immunity over time, either from infection or vaccination. Other viruses have followed a similar path.
The 1918 flu pandemic could also provide clues over the course of COVID-19.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one-third of the world’s population became infected with the virus, which originated in birds. Finally, after infected people died or developed immunity, the virus stopped spreading rapidly. It was later transformed into a less virulent form, which experts say continues to circulate seasonally.
However, the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 could complicate the picture if future mutations in the virus cause more serious diseases or evade vaccines.
The virus is unlikely to be completely eradicated, given the possibility that people may become infected again after being sick or vaccinated.
The only virus that has never been eradicated from the human population is smallpox. This is because people develop a lasting immunity to this virus after getting sick or getting vaccinated.
__
The AP answers your questions about the coronavirus in this series. Send them to: [email protected].
Read previous viral questions:
When will children be able to get COVID-19 vaccines?
How would COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers adapt to the variants?
How do we know that COVID-19 vaccines are safe?