'This virus may never go away' -WHO

Dr. Mike Ryan, the head of the World Health Organization emergencies program, on Wednesday told reporters that the novel coronavirus may become "another endemic virus in our communities.

And this virus may never go away."

The world has a "long, long way to go" to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control, despite tentative steps in many countries to begin restarting normal life, the World Health Organization's top emergencies expert warned on Wednesday.

Dr Mike Ryan said risks from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus, remained high at "national, regional and global levels." He said that "very significant control" of the virus was required in order to lower the current risk assessment.

Governments around the world are struggling with the question of how to reopen their economies while still containing the virus, which has infected 4.29 million people, according to a Reuters tally, and led to over 290,000 deaths.

"There is some magical thinking going on that lockdowns work perfectly and that unlocking lockdowns will go great.

Both are fraught with dangers," Ryan warned.