“Humans have never been particularly good at eradicating entire viruses, and COVID-19 might not be any different.

“More than 19 million people have tested positive for COVID-19 globally, and at least 722,000 have died. In the U.S., nearly 5 million people have tested positive and more than 160,000 have died. While scientists are racing to find a cure for the virus, there’s a chance COVID-19 will never fully go away — with or without a vaccine.

“But that doesn’t mean everyone will have to self-isolate forever.

“Dr. Vineet Menachery, a coronavirus researcher at the University of Texas Medical Branch, told NPR’s Weekend Edition that one of the more likely scenarios is that the spread of COVID-19 will eventually be slowed as a result of herd immunity. He said he’d be surprised ‘if we’re still wearing masks and six feet distancing in two or three years,’ and that in time, the virus could become no more serious than the common cold.”

Read this article in its entirety at WITF — CLICK HERE.