Coronavirus is here to stay longer and may “never go away”, World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned. It’s hard to estimate the exact time when the pandemic will near its end, the global health organisation also said. However, the nations should stay positive and collaborate closely amid the ongoing crisis, WHO also said. “I think it’s 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 Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said at a press conference in Geneva. Coronavirus would stay just as HIV and the global population has come to terms with the deadly virus, he added.
Even if a vaccine is discovered, controlling the virus will need a “massive effort”, Michael Ryan also said. Coronavius has reportedly killed more than 3 lakh people globally.
In a separate development, the United Nations has warned that the pandemic had caused widespread mental distress and ill health. It’s more so in the countries with lack of mental healthcare investment. The governments should make mental health considerations part of their overall response to the virus, the UN urged.
Meanwhile, leading organisations and scientists from across the world are busy finding a cure for the life-threatening virus. China recently reported new coronavirus cases. On May 17, mainland China had seven new positive cases as against one the previous day. The return of COVID-19 cases rings as a warning to the world at a time when most major economies are in process to lift the lockdowns.
