Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Coronavirus re-emergence will be a threat until 2024, Harvard study finds

Coronavirus re-emergence will be a threat until 2024, Harvard study finds

Social distancing may need to continue or be used intermittently for next two years even if the virus were seemingly eliminated, researchers say.
A further outbreak of the coronavirus could occur as late as 2024 and social distancing may have to be extended until 2022 to contain the existing pandemic, a team of Harvard researchers has said.

The findings contrasted with Tuesday’s upbeat forecast by US President Donald Trump that some US states would be able to lift social distancing measures by the end of April.

The paper – by five researchers with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and published in the journal Science on Tuesday – found that a re-emergence of the virus was possible in the next four years.

It did not say social distancing measures would need to stay in place for the entire next two years, but suggested that “prolonged or intermittent distancing may be necessary into 2022” unless a vaccine or improved treatment was available, or critical care capacity – which has been widely overwhelmed – was increased substantially.

“Even in the event of apparent elimination, Sars-CoV-2 surveillance should be maintained since a resurgence in contagion could be possible as late as 2024,” it said, referring to the virus’ official name.

Countries around the world have introduced social distancing measures such as restrictions on gatherings, school closures and reductions in non-essential outdoor activities, in efforts to stem the spread of the coronavirus, despite having social and economic consequences.

The pandemic – the worst global public health crisis since the second world war – has killed more than 130,000 people worldwide, with the number of infections passing 2 million.

With over 600,000 cases and a death toll of more than 26,000, the United States has become the worst-hit country since the outbreak was first reported in China in December.

The World Health Organisation has warned that the infection caseload has not yet peaked, while the International Monetary Fund has said the recession caused by the virus was very likely to be the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

China has formally lifted its blanket lockdown measures – in place for more than two months – in Wuhan, the outbreak’s initial epicentre. Most Chinese cities have loosened distancing measures as the nation declared an initial victory in getting the outbreak under control.

In Europe, some countries have made small steps or plans to ease social distancing measures to allow parts of the economy to function, although without declaring that it was time to return to normality.

Trump expressed optimism at a White House briefing on Tuesday that distancing measures in the US could soon be lifted.

“It’s going to be very, very close,” he said. “Maybe even before May 1.”

The Harvard study used US data on two previous coronaviruses to model possible transmission trajectories of Sars-CoV-2 in a variety of scenarios, with seasonal changes and durations of immunity as variables. In all modelled scenarios, the virus could “proliferate at any time of a year”, the report of the study said.

It also said that if immunity were not permanent, the virus would probably enter into regular circulation in most modelled scenarios, but if permanent immunity could be developed, the virus could disappear for five or more years.

Citing the experiences of China, South Korea and Singapore, it said intensive or effective distancing measures could allow for sufficient contact tracing and quarantining, and ease the burden on medical care systems.

The authors said their goal was not to endorse social distancing policies, but to identify likely transmission trajectories, complementary interventions such as increasing intensive care unit capacity, and treatments to reduce ICU demand, as well as to expand the options for bringing the pandemic under long-term control.

“Social distancing strategies could reduce the extent to which Sars-CoV-2 infections strain health care systems,” they wrote.

“We do not take a position on the advisability of these scenarios given the economic burden that sustained distancing may impose, but we note the potentially catastrophic burden on the health care system that is predicted if distancing is poorly effective and/or not sustained for long enough.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×