Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : May 21, 2021 2:54 PM IST
COVID-19 could eventually transition into a mild illness, causing just coughs and sniffles.
The novel coronavirus, which is responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, has claimed more than 3.4 million lives and infected over 164 million people worldwide. Numerous variants of the virus (SARS-CoV-2) have been found circulating across the globe, with a few causing concerns among experts. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified four variants form India (B.1.617), the U.K. (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351) and Brazil (P.1) as "variants of global concern". Studies have shown that these variants contain mutations that make them more infectious than older variants of the virus. As coronavirus continues to mutate to stronger versions, it is unlikely that COVID-19 could be completely eradicated. Many experts, including Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel, have warned that there are high chances of SARS-CoV-2 becoming an endemic disease and remain with us forever. But they suggested that COVID-19 could eventually transition into a mild illness, causing fewer cases of severe disease.
Scientists at the University of Utah also support this theory. In a study published in the journal Viruses, they claimed that the novel coronavirus could become little more than a nuisance, causing just common cold-like coughs and sniffles, within the next decade. Over the next decade, the severity of COVID-19 may decrease as populations collectively develop immunity, whether through prior infection or vaccination, said Fred Adler, PhD, professor of mathematics and biological sciences at the University of Utah.
They predicted that the severity of SARS-CoV-2 could lessen over time like the other seasonal coronaviruses circulating in the human population. And the changes in the disease would be driven by adaptations of our immune response rather than by changes in the virus itself. Their prediction that SARS-CoV-2 would become "Just Another Seasonal Coronavirus," is based on the lessons learned from the current pandemic on how our body's immunity changes over time.
Research suggests that at least 60 to 70 percent of the human population will need to become immune to end the pandemic phase. This can be achieved by either large-scale vaccination, or recovery from natural infections. But achieving widespread immunity through uncontrolled spread may lead to hundreds of thousands more deaths and hospitalizations. Therefore, widespread vaccination is deemed as an effective way to end the pandemic. Also, most currently authorized vaccines have been found to be effective against the most concerning variants. Hence, leading immunologists believe that vaccination can help us reach herd immunity, despite the variants.
As of May 21, a total of 19,18,79,503 vaccine doses have been administered in India.
.
.
