Hundreds of people and their lives devastated in the last two years due to COVID-19. And now, everybody is asking from experts when will COVID-19 pandemic end. Even though different governments across the globe look eager to put the pandemic behind them, it seems there is more work to be done to handle this health menace.
It’s been two years since people across the worlds have been suffering from COVID-19 pandemic. And now, all hopes rely on what WHO (World Health Organization) has to say about this.
Soumya Swaminathan, who’s the chief scientist of WHO says there is a long road ahead regarding COVID-19 Pandemic in terms of the fact that they not only required to determine the origin of coronavirus outbreak but also to educate people regarding public health and also to garner international support to the organization.
According to excerpts from a Jan. 27 interview with Swaminathan for Bloomberg Quicktake’s “Emma Barnett Meets.”
BLOOMBERG: Was the politicization of science a surprise?
SWAMINATHAN: It was one of the things that surprised me, especially when I saw a direct attack on science and scientists in such a manner. And this is not stopping anywhere but going stronger over the course of the pandemic. It has all the potential to do a lot of damage to the society.
This is why we need to work with younger people so as to improve health and scientific literacy. This will help them think in a more rational way to the information that get.
BLOOMBERG: What do we know about the origins of the coronavirus?
SWAMINATHAN: Almost all types of viral infections like MERS, SARS, Ebola, the Zika virus, HIV and the two major coronaviruses have been categorized as zoonotic infections. It’s also true that all of them have infected human beings. Most of the times, it has been observed that these viruses emerge from animals and then sometimes through an intermediate host.
In this case, the genetic origin somewhere points their origin from bats. But what we still don’t know is how it happened. And when and where this kind of a jump happened from animals to human beings. And this is what somewhat crucial to understand to prevent future pandemics.
When Will COVID-19 Pandemic End? WHO’s Chief Scientist Replies
BLOOMBERG: Do you rule out that coronavirus leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China?
SWAMINATHAN: So far, nothing is ruled out. We need to look at the evidences. Scientists who went to China came with a conclusion that it might have happened due to an animal. We still have no information about the animal was wild, domestic. We also don’t know if it was a bird or bat. At present we need more data to analyze our studies.
BLOOMBERG: When will the pandemic end?
SWAMINATHAN: Nobody can predict that for now. It would be foolish if people leave all the precautions thinking that it has gone. It looks at the end of 2022, we would be at some better position to tell the fate of COVID-19 pandemic. Please note that a variant can arise anywhere and therefore we all need to be cautious.
Also Read: Heart Disease Risk Soars After COVID, Even With A Mild Case
