Different strains of the coronavirus are likely to reinfect people every few years, according to a British medical expert.
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, predicts that more variants of the virus could emerge even with the end of the pandemic, according to a recent report.
The World Health Organization has identified three variants of the coronavirus, including strains from South Africa and Brazil, which experts say may be resistant to vaccines.
Hunter said it is “difficult to predict” how COVID will mutate, as adding new strains may not cause serious illness.
Still, in an interview with BBC Radio 4, he called on governments to be vigilant while reopening economies.
“We know that new variants develop, this is very obvious, and some new variants are spreading and becoming dominant,” he said. “Many new variants simply die. … Ultimately, with the other human coronaviruses, we expect to be reinfected on average every two to four years with the same virus. “
