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The World Health Organization (WHO) emergency aid coordinator is skeptical that the new coronavirus can be eliminated after the rapid spread around the world. “This virus can become native to the population and will never go away,” said Michael Ryan in Geneva on Wednesday night.
HIV, the virus that triggers immunodeficiency disease, has never disappeared again. However, in the case of HIV, the world has managed to create drugs and preventive measures. The virus had lost some of its terror through them. “I don’t want to compare diseases, but we have to be realistic,” said Ryan.
However, there is still a small chance of exterminating Sars-CoV-2. To do this, a highly effective vaccine must be found, manufactured in sufficient quantities and distributed throughout the world. And people should agree to be vaccinated. “Each of these steps is challenging,” said Ryan.
Criticism of vaccination skepticism
He criticized widespread skepticism about vaccines and the lack of funds for good health systems in many regions of the world. “We have very effective vaccines on this planet that we have not used effectively,” he said, referring to measles.
The number of measles cases has increased again for several years. Germany had actually committed to the WHO to eradicate measles by 2015. However, this would require more than 95 percent of the population to be immune to the disease. A value that is not achieved.
Other experts also believe that the corona virus is unlikely to go away entirely. “Based on the parallelism with other coronaviruses and the large number of people currently infected, it can be assumed that it will no longer be possible to completely eliminate this virus,” said virologist John Ziebuhr of the University of Gießen in March.
However: control is possible
However, with the right measures, the coronavirus can be controlled, emphasized WHO expert Maria van Kerkhove. Consequently, this includes detection of infected persons, isolation of contact persons, and effective treatment. Vaccines and drugs are working under high pressure, says van Kerkhove.
Ryan still considers the risk of Covid-19 to be high in all countries. When asked when it was time to give the go-ahead, he replied cautiously. The WHO can only choose between two options, Ryan said: “Either there is a global international health emergency, or there is not.”
On January 30, the WHO declared an international health emergency due to the crown pandemic. At the time, 212 people in China had been diagnosed with the virus. Infections were found in more than 8,000 people in around 20 countries worldwide.
Since then, the virus has spread worldwide. According to Johns Hopkins University figures, it has been shown that more than 4.3 million people worldwide have been infected with the corona virus. Almost 300,000 died.
