Inside STAT: Experts envision two scenarios if new coronavirus isn't contained

(ADOBE)

What would a world in which the novel coronavirus becomes endemic be like? That’s the question that experts are increasingly asking as the new virus continues to spread across four continents — more than 20,600 infections at last count, with over420 deaths. The best case would be that the many travel bans and other measures to contain the coronavirus work to completely eliminate it — the odds of this happening are not great, especially as many people who traveled to China have since traveled elsewhere, raising the likelihood of infecting new populations. This new pathogen could join the ranks of other coronaviruses and just cause a common cold, or it could become something like a seasonal flu virus and return repeatedly. Read more about how these different scenarios could play out from STAT’s Sharon Begley.