"Like the flu, it will come every winter and cause deaths among the elderly"
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim On-yu] It is predicted that COVID-19, like other seasonal viruses, could cause thousands of deaths annually in the UK alone.
According to the Guardian on the 31st (local time), British scientists expect the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to increase again after the vaccination rate drops and schools reopen in the fall. This could lead to a fourth wave of COVID-19 in winter, and there are concerns that this phenomenon may become an annual event.
Professor Adam Finn of the University of Bristol stated, "We will be dealing with COVID-19 related issues for a long time. This virus has shown that it is genetically very fast, though not as much as the flu. It will be problematic by causing thousands, even tens of thousands, of deaths every year."
Professor James Naismith, director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute at the University of Oxford, shared the same view. He said, "Due to sufficient herd immunity, COVID-19 will no longer spread like wildfire," but expressed concern that "it will become a disease similar to the flu and cause deaths." While it is difficult to predict the exact number of deaths, he noted that thousands of deaths could occur every winter, and in certain years, the number could rise to tens of thousands.
However, Professor Jonathan Ball of the University of Nottingham pointed out, "As immunity expands across the entire population, COVID-19 deaths will decrease," adding, "While deaths will occur annually, expecting thousands of deaths is too pessimistic."
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