COVID-19 pandemic could last until 2022, says US researchers

As governments around the world are relaxing lockdown restrictions, a report released by some experts in the United States has predicted that the coronavirus could continue till 2022. According to the report, the coronavirus pandemic will not come under control until half the world's population becomes immune to the disease. The report is developed by the researchers from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota. 

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The report titled 'COVID-19: The CIDRAP Viewpoint' stated, "Key points from observing the epidemiology of past influenza pandemics that may provide insight into the COVID-19 pandemic include the following. First, the length of the pandemic will likely  be 18 to 24 months, as herd immunity gradually develops in the human population. This will take time since limited serosurveillance data available to date suggest that a relatively small fraction of the population has been infected and infection rates likely vary substantially by geographic area."

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"The course of the pandemic also could be influenced by a vaccine; however, a vaccine will likely not be available until at least some time in 2021. And we don’t know what kind of challenges could arise during vaccine development that could delay the timeline. Because of a longer incubation period, more asymptomatic spread, and a higher R0, COVID-19 appears to spread more easily than flu," the report added further. 

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Coronavirus outbreak

The virus outbreak that started in China's Wuhan city has spread across continents in just one month forcing the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare it a pandemic on March 11. Health experts believe that the coronavirus originated from a seafood market in China's Wuhan city, where animals were reportedly being traded illegally. According to data by worldometer, more than 3.42 million people have been infected by the disease globally, of which over 2,40,000 have lost their lives. 

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