By: Jasmine Williams

Just when we thought COVID was done: it may be coming back says experts. According to the ‘Washington Post,’ the White House has received a warning about the possibility that the coronavirus may be coming back.

There’s a 20% possibility that COVID could come back in the next two years. A highly known scientist, Trevor Bedford, suggested that there could be a 40% percent chance of a similar omicron wave. He also conducted a statistical analysis about this possible new corona wave. This is what an immunologist and virgolist, Dan Barouch, said, “No one’s saying it’s zero. No one’s saying it’s 80 percent.” He added. “It’s more than an infinitesimal chance — and it is by no means a certainty.”

Experts in virology, immunobiology, and more, had spoken with White House officials about the virus being able to develop and mutate, bypassing protections from vaccines and treatments. These responses came, not instantly, as the administrators planned an end of the public health emergency on May 11.

Though in the US, the virus is considered finished, leaders and the coronavirus response team have other options made for long term pandemic protection. Senior officials are needing to implement more public health protections against the next threat. “One of my biggest worries is that we are losing time in preparing for the next pandemic,” assistant secretary of Health and Human Services, Dawn O’Connell, said.

Recently, the World Health Organization declared that COVID is no longer a worldwide health emergency. A director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, made an announcement saying, “[This] does not mean that COVID-19 is over as a global health threat.” He isn’t wrong, in fact there were a few confirmed cases and deaths recently. There were less than 80,000 cases in the US last week. Though it isn’t widely viewed that COVID isn’t fully gone and coming back, it’s still good to take precautions.