4 ms·

So it will become endemic and be one of the common colds ?

ed_balls 5y ago
pretty much. This what happened with 7 cold viruses and 2* flu viruses. I don't think it's realistic to destroy the virus reservoirs. *not sure if these are the exact number I remember from the lecture.
- gizmo686 5y ago
  There are 4 types of influenza, but only types A and B cause seasonal epidemics every year; and are what is targeted by the flu vaccine. Type C can infect humans but is typically mild and has not yet caused a serious epidemic. Type D is not known to infect humans at all.
belltaco 5y ago
Not if a significant fraction refuses to get vaccinated.
- raarts 5y ago
  I'm one of those people. I (like many) have already had Covid-19, and there is enough research suggesting that naturally acquired immunity protects as least as good (and likely better) than getting one of the vaccines. Now the virus has become endemic, there is much less reason to get vaccinated. For the low-risk and healthy.
PeterHolzwarth 5y ago
I feel this depends on what we mean when we say "common cold." I perceive the topic as characterized by answers to the questions of: 1. How easily can I catch the virus? 2. How likely am I to experience severe symptoms when infected? 3. Are there treatments that will significantly help me if I experience severe symptoms? My readings indicate covid appears to be more infectious than influenza, but I do not know the comparison between the common cold viruses and covid on this front. I am uncertain if covid is more or less likely to cause severe symptoms vs influenza. I believe, however, that the viruses that represent the common cold (rhinoviruses) can be definitely characterized as being much more benign in regards to symptoms. I feel a key issue is #3 - there are few known compounds that can reliably aid in treatment of someone who is experiencing severe symptoms for covid. This is an area of rapidly expanding research now, of course.
- guscost 5y ago
  > I believe, however, that the viruses that represent the common cold (rhinoviruses) can be definitely characterized as being much more benign in regards to symptoms. There are at least four endemic cold-coronaviruses, plus the adenovirus family, plus a bunch more. The severity of most of these respiratory infections depend a lot on patient comorbidities, and immune history.
- timr 5y ago
  The OP asked a simple question that requires no definitional equivocation. You are complicating the question unnecessarily. The question is: will the virus become endemic. The simple answer is "yes", because it is already endemic: it has multiple mammalian reservoirs, is found in every country on earth, and is ubiquitous in the human population. It is endemic. Theories about severity, treatment, etc., are completely irrelevant.
  - anamexis 5y ago
    And the second half of the question is "and be one of the common colds," which is exactly what GP was responding to..
    - timr 5y ago
      Which is obviously a colloquialism, and has nothing to do with the meaning of the question. Will the virus become endemic and be a common illness? Yes. Focusing on the "common cold" is a way of making the question about severity, which is clearly not the intent.
      - deleted 5y ago
        [deleted]
      - anamexis 5y ago
        That certainly is not clear to me, and in any case not reason to be dismissive and rude about a good answer.

pretty much. This what happened with 7 cold viruses and 2* flu viruses. I don't think it's realistic to destroy the virus reservoirs. *not sure if these are the exact number I remember from the lecture.

gizmo686 5y ago
There are 4 types of influenza, but only types A and B cause seasonal epidemics every year; and are what is targeted by the flu vaccine. Type C can infect humans but is typically mild and has not yet caused a serious epidemic. Type D is not known to infect humans at all.

belltaco 5y ago

Not if a significant fraction refuses to get vaccinated.

raarts 5y ago
I'm one of those people. I (like many) have already had Covid-19, and there is enough research suggesting that naturally acquired immunity protects as least as good (and likely better) than getting one of the vaccines. Now the virus has become endemic, there is much less reason to get vaccinated. For the low-risk and healthy.

PeterHolzwarth 5y ago

I feel this depends on what we mean when we say "common cold." I perceive the topic as characterized by answers to the questions of: 1. How easily can I catch the virus? 2. How likely am I to experience severe symptoms when infected? 3. Are there treatments that will significantly help me if I experience severe symptoms? My readings indicate covid appears to be more infectious than influenza, but I do not know the comparison between the common cold viruses and covid on this front. I am uncertain if covid is more or less likely to cause severe symptoms vs influenza. I believe, however, that the viruses that represent the common cold (rhinoviruses) can be definitely characterized as being much more benign in regards to symptoms. I feel a key issue is #3 - there are few known compounds that can reliably aid in treatment of someone who is experiencing severe symptoms for covid. This is an area of rapidly expanding research now, of course.

guscost 5y ago
> I believe, however, that the viruses that represent the common cold (rhinoviruses) can be definitely characterized as being much more benign in regards to symptoms. There are at least four endemic cold-coronaviruses, plus the adenovirus family, plus a bunch more. The severity of most of these respiratory infections depend a lot on patient comorbidities, and immune history.
timr 5y ago
The OP asked a simple question that requires no definitional equivocation. You are complicating the question unnecessarily. The question is: will the virus become endemic. The simple answer is "yes", because it is already endemic: it has multiple mammalian reservoirs, is found in every country on earth, and is ubiquitous in the human population. It is endemic. Theories about severity, treatment, etc., are completely irrelevant.
- anamexis 5y ago
  And the second half of the question is "and be one of the common colds," which is exactly what GP was responding to..
  - timr 5y ago
    Which is obviously a colloquialism, and has nothing to do with the meaning of the question. Will the virus become endemic and be a common illness? Yes. Focusing on the "common cold" is a way of making the question about severity, which is clearly not the intent.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - anamexis 5y ago
      That certainly is not clear to me, and in any case not reason to be dismissive and rude about a good answer.