COVID-19 will eventually become like the other coronaviruses which circulate widely and cause common colds.
According to the Evening Standard, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, who developed the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine said at the Royal Society of Medicine webinar, that the virus will weaken over time and eventually become like the others.
Photo via mStar
“We already live with four different human coronaviruses that we don’t really ever think about very much and eventually SARS-CoV-2 will become one of those.
“It’s just a question of how long it’s going to take to get there and what measures we’re going to have to take to manage it in the meantime,” she said.
Gilbert predicted that the coronavirus would behave like other flu viruses in which a person would experience the common cold.
“We normally see that viruses become less virulent as they circulate more easily and there is no reason to think we will have a more virulent version of the SARS-CoV-2,” she noted.
However, Sarah clarified that there is no set time frame for how long the virus would take to become less virulent.
Photo via Nikkei Asia
So in the meantime, we must adhere to the SOPs put in place - Please continue to wear a face mask, maintain physical distancing and sanitise your hands regularly!
Don’t forget to get yourself vaccinated as well! We’re all in this together!
By: Aishah Akashah Ahadiat
