COVID-19 will be around for next 10 years, says BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin

[sri_india]

Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech that is collaborating with Pfizer for a coronavirus vaccine candidate, has said that he expects the virus to be around for the next 10 years. He, talking at a press conference, however, sounded hopeful that a 'new normal' would set in by the end of summer.

When asked about when he believes the world will return to normal, Sahin said, "We need a new definition of 'normal'. The virus will stay with us for the next 10 years. We need to get used to the fact there'll be more outbreaks."

The 'new normal', Sahin explained, would mean that countries do not have to go under lockdown. "This winter, we will not have an impact on the infection numbers. But we must have an impact so that next winter can be the new normal," he said.

Talking about whether vaccinating 60-70 per cent of the world's population would prevent future outbreaks, Sahin said that if the virus mutates, a higher uptake of the vaccine would be required to return to normal.

BioNTech is aiming to find if the vaccine is effective against the new strain of coronavirus discovered in the UK. Sahin said that the company would need another two weeks to see if the vaccine can stop the mutant coronavirus strain. He said that scientifically it is likely that the immune response generated by the vaccine can deal with the virus. Sahin said that the BioNTech vaccine contains over 1,270 amino acids and only nine of them are changed in the mutant virus. He said that 99 per cent of the protein is still the same.

[PilliBeta]

Sensible post, I agree.

[meri_zindagi]

Masks are not going away 😏

[PilliBeta]

4 minutes ago, meri_zindagi said:

Masks are not going away 😏

I like wearing masks. I don't like being seen by people. 

[soodhilodaaram]

11 minutes ago, PilliBeta said:

Sensible post, I agree.

agree for what.. the vaccine will be really effective?

how do you if mRNA doesn't end up messing up the DNA, why is this not called genetic modification

[soodhilodaaram]

2 minutes ago, PilliBeta said:

I like wearing masks. I don't like being seen by people. 

musugu lo emaina cheyachana nee ardham

[sri_india]

2 minutes ago, soodhilodaaram said:

agree for what.. the vaccine will be really effective?

how do you if mRNA doesn't end up messing up the DNA, why is this not called genetic modification

vaccine develop cheesinodee inko 10 years antunadu .... ento emo 

[PilliBeta]

2 minutes ago, soodhilodaaram said:

agree for what.. the vaccine will be really effective?

how do you if mRNA doesn't end up messing up the DNA, why is this not called genetic modification

It will take forever to get red of covid from the entire world. There will be pockets of outbursts from time to time since everyone will not necessarily be immunized. 

[PilliBeta]

Just now, sri_india said:

vaccine develop cheesinodee inko 10 years antunadu .... ento emo 

Epidemiology lo em chadivaav man, polio India lo recent ga poyindi, but not the rest of the world. But it took India forever and a lot of immunizations to get to the stage of being polio free. 

[meri_zindagi]

5 minutes ago, PilliBeta said:

I like wearing masks. I don't like being seen by people. 

I don’t feel convenient. It makes talking more difficult and it would be easier to understand what others are saying with visual cues.

[PilliBeta]

1 minute ago, meri_zindagi said:

I don’t feel convenient. It makes talking more difficult and it would be easier to understand what others are saying with visual cues.

I always had a problem when people come into my bubble. I like not having people come into my bubble.

[meri_zindagi]

4 minutes ago, PilliBeta said:

I always had a problem when people come into my bubble. I like not having people come into my bubble.

Don’t you you have any necessity to talk to new people often ?

[LadiesTailor]

18 minutes ago, PilliBeta said:

I like wearing masks. I don't like being seen by people. 

I like wearing masks coz of allergies... spring fall flu lantivi skip kottochu 

[sri_india]

10 minutes ago, PilliBeta said:

Epidemiology lo em chadivaav man, polio India lo recent ga poyindi, but not the rest of the world. But it took India forever and a lot of immunizations to get to the stage of being polio free. 

Epidemiology anteee??? neenu commerce chadivaa , maaku veeti gurunchi cheppaleee ... also neenu almost all days college dumma kotte vadini , so porapatuna maa economics sir ooo , accounts madam ooo eee Epidemiology gurunchi chepinaa vinee chances chala thakkuvaaa 

[PilliBeta]

10 minutes ago, meri_zindagi said:

Don’t you you have any necessity to talk to new people often ?

Why would new people not understand me when I talk with a mask?