What will a post-COVID future look like?

11:07

Mass-vaccination programs for COVID-19 are being carried out around the world but not every country can afford vaccines and governments are following different strategies to contain the virus. So what will the future look like?

Emma Keeling spoke to an epidemiologist in New Zealand to find out why the country's strategy was so successful and asked a virologist in the U.S. whether the SARS-CoV-2 virus is here to stay?

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"We don't really know what's going to happen, as the virus is going to continue to change," Jeremy Rossman, a lecturer in virology, explained. He said looking at two other viruses and the way they are treated and dealt with could be indicators for COVID-19. Measles, which is highly infectious, but with a very effective vaccine, has not been eradicated or totally destroyed, but Rossman said it has been "eliminated," meaning it's rare and vaccination continues.

Flu, on the other hand, is a common seasonal epidemic. One reason for that is how often the influenza virus mutates, meaning we don't have a continually effective vaccine, but one that needs regular updates.

So, which way will the world go? As New Zealand and China have shown, containment is possible.

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