◀ anchor ▶
Countries where Omicron is the dominant species, such as South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States, are drawing a downward curve after the number of COVID-19 cases peaked.
Epidemiologists are the first to begin examining the possibility that COVID-19 may be moving into an endemic state, such as the common cold or flu.
This is reporter Shin Jeong-yeon.
◀ Report ▶
The U.S. has explosively increased the number of COVID-19 cases due to the spread of Omicron mutations.
More than 800,000 people were infected on the 14th, peaking, and then continuing to decrease.
[아시시 자/미국 브라운대학 공중보건대학원 학장]
“It should not be assumed that the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
It seems to be following the trajectory of South Africa and the UK, where Omicron became the dominant species early and the number of confirmed cases exploded and then decreased sharply.
The scientific community is starting to be cautiously optimistic that Omicron may end the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many people have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and have undergone omicron mutations, so that mankind has developed herd immunity to some extent.
There are speculations that COVID-19 will also become similar to seasonal diseases such as colds and flu and become an indigenous disease.
[에린 모데카이/스탠퍼드대학 생물학 교수]
“Every year in winter, COVID-19 can become an indigenous disease just as colds and flu are prevalent.”
The Spanish flu virus, which in the past infected a third of the world’s population and killed 50 million people, has also evolved into a less severe virus and no longer poses a major threat to humanity.
But the variables remain.
Experts predict that a new mutation will appear again this year after Omicron, and the global corona situation will change depending on the contagiousness and severity of the new mutation.
[피터 호테즈/미국 베일러 의대 교수]
“It is likely that we will face another serious mutation of the COVID-19 virus.”
As the nature of the next mutation is unpredictable, experts emphasize that basic principles such as vaccination and wearing a mask should be followed.
This is Jeongyeon Shin from MBC News.
Video Editing: Kwon Ji-eun
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