• Question: When do think COVID will end

    Asked by b1e2n3 on 8 Nov 2021. This question was also asked by Sophiec, DearbhlaB, sarahH.
    • Photo: Dave Healy

      Dave Healy answered on 8 Nov 2021:

      WHEN WILL IT EVER END!?! I think this is a question that everyone is asking at the moment, and I can totally understand why.
      If we’re talking about the virus itself, we might not see that disappear at all. Many viruses, like the flu for example, are difficult to eradicate. They exist at low levels in our populations at all times (we call that Endemic), or in different parts of the planet at different times of the year (Seasonal).
      If we are talking about the end of the COVID pandemic and all the restrictions placed on society because of it, I think that will end at a point when there is a low number of people who are getting severely sick from the virus. I would be hopeful that with booster vaccinations beginning to roll out, we’ll start to see lower numbers again, like we did when the vaccines came out first. Maybe that will be the end of it! Or maybe we’ll need a yearly vaccine like we do with flu.

    • Photo: Danielle Nader

      Danielle Nader answered on 8 Nov 2021: last edited 8 Nov 2021 10:44 am

      I think if we do not see a variant this winter, COVID could come to an end by mid 2022. The virus could still be hanging around though, since it is difficult to completely get rid of some viruses (example, the cold virus!). We might still see small pop ups throughout the next few years, but not to a pandemic extent. If this is the case, we’ll likely have to get boosters just like the flu vaccine.

    • Photo: Gaël Lymer

      Gaël Lymer answered on 8 Nov 2021: last edited 8 Nov 2021 6:10 pm

      Unfortunately I do not have the medical knowledge to answer this question. But the Magnesium Zone has researchers in medical sciences who may be able to provide some answers to this 🙂

      Scientists work by observing nature and recording data. From these data scientists can understand how natural phenomenas (viruses, earthquakes, weather) work currently or have worked in the past. By knowing how nature works now, or has worked in the past, scientists can define scientific models to get an idea of how nature will work in the future (for example whether forecast). This is one of the methodology that currently helps medical scientists to understand COVID and try to know, based on scientific observation, how the virus will evolve in the next months/years.

    • Photo: Andrew McGovern

      Andrew McGovern answered on 8 Nov 2021:

      The tricky part of this question is defining ‘end’.

      If end is severity, we have ended the worst part of it. The high risk of death has been dramatically decreased thanks to vaccines, and everyday new treatments are coming down the pipeline!

      If end is no more restrictions, we are on the tail end of it all. Last year COVID was growing nearly 10% a day but now it is only 2.5% which is a HUGE difference. To end restrictions we need to turn that growth to a negative number so the number of cases decreases. Things like masks, boosters, restrictions, ventilation is all here right now to restrict the growth and to push down that original 10% to a negative number. The data all points towards next year being the last time we see restrictions.

      If end it never hearing about COVID again, we might be waiting years. When we get rid of a virus on earth we call it eradicated. And we have gotten rid of loads of terrible diseases but not many respiratory viruses. What is more likely is that next year life will return to normal for you. You will hear about COVID every now and then when someone randomly gets the virus but we won’t worry about it. Worldwide, 3rd world countries still are struggling to get vaccinated and they will have to deal with restrictions. I hope this helped!

    • Photo: Cyrille Thinnes

      Cyrille Thinnes answered on 17 Nov 2021:

      Nobody knows. We have come far in dealing with the impact of COVID-19, such as slowing down spread through changes in behaviour, vaccination, and soon also medications. We have learned how to better respond to outbreaks and to keep people safe. Looking at the current evolution, COVID will be with us for some more time to come, but the negative impact is decreasing as we know how to deal with the situation.

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