Various predictions have been made about the novel coronavirus pandemic that, unfortunately, is still causing a worldwide health problem, but one expert believes that COVID-19 might die on its own even without a vaccine.
Expert Describes Coronavirus as 'An Aggressive Tiger to Wild Cat'
An infectious disease expert from Italy, Professor Matteo Bassetti, claims that the SARS-CoV-2 virus, otherwise known as the new coronavirus, has lost its virulence based on his observations on patients.
"It was like an aggressive tiger in March and April, but now it's like a wild cat," Professor Bassetti said in an interview with The Telegraph. "Even elderly patients, aged 80 or 90, are now sitting up in bed and they are breathing without help. The same patients would have died in two or three days before."
Based on his clinical impression, the doctor believes that COVID-19 is changing its severity.
According to Bassetti, several factors could be behind the coronavirus' weakening, including participating in lockdowns and following social distancing protocols, making them exposed to smaller viral loads.
There's also a belief that it could be due to improved COVID-19 treatments.
He even suggested that the virus might die on its own even without a coronavirus vaccine, which is still in clinical trials and could most likely be developed and distributed in 2021.
Nevertheless, not everyone is happy with Professor Bassetti's news.
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Other Experts Disagree
According to Metro, the doctor's claims are widely disputed by other experts in the field, including a Columbia University expert, Dr. Angela Rasmussen, who responded to him and said, "There is no evidence that the virus is losing potency anywhere."
She did say that there is less transmission, but it does not mean that the virus has weakened.
Another expert from the University of Glasgow, Dr. Oscar MacLean, also disagreed with Bassetti and said that making those claims based on anecdotal observations from swab tests is dangerous.
Although he did say that it is theoretically possible for SARS-CoV-2 to weaken through mutation, we should not be expecting it.
In addition, Dr. MacLean suggested that if there are any new claims regarding COVID-19, it should be "verified in a more systematic way" and that no one should downplay the virus without any reliable evidence.
COVID-19 is Still a Worldwide Threat
Some experts even believe that we will be bringing COVID-19 into 2021 as the vaccine is less likely to be developed and distributed this 2020, regardless of what pharmaceutical companies say.
Although things might look better today than it did when the virus was just starting to spread, it does not mean that we are in the clear.
Several countries have already flattened the curve and were able to ease the lockdown restrictions, but experts believe a second or third wave of the virus is more imminent, especially in places that haven't entirely defeated the unseen enemy.
In fact, there were new cases confirmed in New Zealand, with two women hailing from the UK, becoming the country's first cases in 24 days.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, over 9 million cases have been confirmed worldwide, 470,700 fatalities, and more than 4.8 million recoveries.
