The coronavirus pandemic may end in the near future yet the virus itself won’t go away, Head of Russia’s Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing Anna Popova said in an interview with TASS.

“We hope so,” she said in response to a question on the prospects of the development of the virus. “[This may be the end] of the pandemic precisely yet the virus is not going away. The virus will stay, it exists, it is present right now. And nowadays, some of those who see and hear us have acquaintances and relatives who are sick. So we cannot speak about the virus going away. We say that possibly this will be an epidemic, not a pandemic, manifestation of the virus. Yet it is completely obvious that the virus will stay with us for a long time if not forever,” she added.

The top sanitary doctor reiterated that in addition to pharmaceuticals and vaccines there are hygienic precautionary measures that need to be observed. “These involve clean hands, masks, clean gadgets, the cleanliness around us. These simple hygienic rules undoubtedly help staying healthy with any respiratory infection,” she explained.

Source: Agencies