Facing the Possibility of a Long Pandemic

While scientists cannot predict how Covid-19 will end, the virus has transformed life as we know it and will continue to do so for decades to come.

 
Nobody knows how COVID-19 will evolve, whether it is going to last much longer or will run out of steam relatively soon. The “Spanish flu” of 1918-1920 claimed 50 million lives, according to most estimates.

That was the equivalent of 2.7% of the world’s population at that time. It later waned, although other flu variants continued to appear.

 
An ever-evolving virus

COVID-19 has been less lethal, despite emerging in a new era of globalization.

Testament to the virus’ ever-evolving nature, as societies we were as caught out by the emergence of the Omicron variant as we were the pandemic itself.

This happened despite many scientists foresaw the former (that is, a strain that is 25% more infections and 25% more likely to evade immune systems, but 25% less harmful than the previous Delta variant).

We now have vaccines and treatments for the disease are emerging. However, billions of people may still become infected in 2022, and the evolution of the virus may well produce “something that spreads even faster” according to The Financial Times

 
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Πηγή: theglobalist.com