The Covid pandemic is coming to an end, says Moderna CEO. He is not the only one.
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A nurse holds a vial of Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
Clement Mahoudeau / AFP via Getty Images
Modern
CEO Stephane Bancel has signaled that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic is in sight.
When asked in an interview if the virus was approaching the final stages of the pandemic, Bancel said, “I think that’s a reasonable scenario.”
He reiterated that the virus would stay with humans forever, just like the flu, in the interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia” and added: “I think there is an 80% chance that when Omicron develops or SarsCov-2 virus develops, we will see fewer and less virulent viruses.”
Bancel warned that there was a 20% scenario where a new mutation could be more virulent than Omicron.
Bancel’s prediction seems to match a growing consensus among health experts. It echoes comments made by Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Biden’s chief medical adviser, told the Financial Times last week that “full blown pandemic phase”Ends.
That’s good news, if he’s right, but not so good
Modern
stock Wednesday. Its shares are down 2.6% in pre-market trading.
Separately, Moderna (ticker: MRNA) has partnered with the UK’s National Institute for Health Research to launch a new trial with its Omicron booster vaccine, according to the Press Association news management.
More than 3,000 volunteers are being recruited to take part in the study, which will test what is one of the first shots to tackle the variant.
Write to Rupert Steiner at [email protected]