Leading scientists believe that COVID will resemble the common cold and will reach a point of balance among the global population within a few years. Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, stated that the coronavirus will not be as severe as it was during the pandemic, as many people will be protected through vaccination, in addition to many gaining the necessary immunity after contracting the infection. Professor Hunter pointed out that the virus will continue to exist, meaning it will not be completely eradicated, and that people will gradually gain natural immunity to it, with symptoms eventually resembling those of the common cold.
He added, "It is likely that the coronavirus will reach a stable point in the next few years, where it will continue to spread but will hardly cause any deaths or severe symptoms." Coronavirus tracking researchers have noted that the disease has already begun to transform into a bad cold characterized by a runny nose, headache, and sneezing.
Epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector from King's College London mentioned that COVID has now become akin to a bad cold, thanks to the vaccination campaign that protects vulnerable individuals from death. Spector added that although vaccines are highly effective in preventing hospitalizations and deaths due to the disease, they are less effective at preventing infection, as reported by the British newspaper Daily Mail.
