Covid will pose a threat for next five years, say experts

Covid will be a threat to the UK for at least the next five years, scientific advisers have warned the government.

- THOMAS KINGSLEY

A report prepared by the Scientific Pandemic Influenza group on Modelling (Spi-M) panel revealed that it was likely to take “at least a further five years for Covid-19 to settle to a predictable endemic state” – where the virus lingers in the background but a does not threaten to cause widespread infection and rapidly overwhelm the NHS.

The report - produced before the omicron variant was identified, and released on Friday - added that it was “highly likely that continuation of active management of SARS-CoV-2 will be required for the long term. How much vaccination and boosters, and what other interventions (testing, ventilation, isolation of cases, etc) are required over the next five to ten years, will be driven by factors that are, as yet, unknown.”