The question of when the Covid-19 pandemic will finally come to an end has been on most people's minds since March 2020.
The unpredictable nature of the virus has meant that there have never been any definitive answers as to if or when pre-pandemic life will resume.
Ireland has reached the point where vaccination rates and three key remaining rules have allowed for the easing of most measures since Saturday, January 22.
As more and more detailed research is carried out on the nature of Covid-19, health experts have finally begun predicting the actual end of the pandemic, or rather the beginning of the ‘endemic’ phase of this virus.
Stuart Ray, a professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Johns Hopkins defines endemic as “a point at which the infection is no longer unpredictably disruptive.”
NHS doctor Karan Rajan gathered an incredibly large following on TikTok over the past two years, debunking plenty of Covid myths as well as answering other medical questions people have.
His most recent video covered the topic of ‘when will the world go back to normal?’
Explaining what will likely happen next, Dr Rajan said: “Covid-19 is most likely here to stay for a long time, but hopefully in 2022 the pandemic will end and the endemic will begin.
“Most scientists agree that it is unlikely we will be able to eradicate Covid-19, but it will become endemic.
“It will be a part of the background like like influenza and the four human coronaviruses that cause common colds.”
He said the future of this virus will likely see infections jump at particular times of the year - just like with the common cold and flu.
“The future of Covid probably involves seasonal spikes of cases that cause death and illnesses like the flu - probably at a similar rate as well,” he said.
“But crucially this will be without lockdowns, masks and social distancing.”
