Expert: COVID-19 Will Become Common Flu Next Year

LONDON – Oxford University professor of medicine Sir John Bell said, COVID-19 in the end it will be like flu usually in the spring of next year. This is because people already have immunity to the virus which is boosted by vaccine and display.

He said England was going through the worst and things should be fine once the winter is over. It added that there was continued exposure to the virus even in people who were vaccinated.

“If you look at the track we are on, we are much better than we were six months ago,” Sir John said when asked about his statement on Times Radio.

“So the pressure on the NHS has mostly eased. If you look at the deaths from COVID, they tend to be very old people, and it’s not entirely clear that it was COVID that caused all those deaths.”

“So I think we’re past the worst now and I think what’s going to happen is, there’s going to be a fair amount of exposure to the Delta background.” Sky News, Friday (24/9/2021).

Also read: Experts Say Politicization of the Origin of Covid-19 Damages Global Efforts to Fight the Pandemic

He said the number of cases was quite high but those who had two vaccines and were infected would still lead to stronger herd immunity.

“I think we’re getting into a position that Sarah describes maybe next spring will be my view,” he said, referring to Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert’s remarks.

Previously Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert, whose work helped develop the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, said viruses tend to become weaker as they spread.