By Saheed Ibrahim

As the world awaits further development on the first effective coronavirus vaccine, medical experts have warned that the virus will not go unless there is attitudinal change in the life style of the people.
The experts who spoke with The Hope in separate interviews hinged their caution on the failure of the people to follow COVID-19 protocols.
On Monday, Pfizer announced it had successfully developed a vaccine that can prevent more than 90 per cent of people getting COVID-19 and that it would be ready in December.
A Professor of Microbial Pathology, Michael Simidele Odimayo revealed that the coronavirus is not a disease that “one expects to just go any moment from now.
“In short, we are already in the second wave of the disease in some parts of the country. If you notice, about last week, the number of cases in Lagos have increased and in some of other states.
“People are now less concerned about the various preventive measures. We are having rise in cases. We cannot really predict, we cannot say when it will disappear,” he stated.
The Professor, with special interest in Viralogy, noted that although people were used to the virus and the impact may not be too serious on their health as malaria, people’s response would determine when and how the virus would disappear.
“If we are really carrying out the various preventive measures using face mask, observing social distancing, hand washing and so on, then we may see it going from now or atleast reducing significantly but if we do not do those things, we may have a surge.
“If you look at it in America now and other parts of the world, you are already seeing surge that people now play with lock down in different parts of the globe. So, it is all about we being committed to the preventive measures to reduce the rate of the disease,” the don emphasised.
Also speaking, the Ondo state Epidemiologist, Dr Stephen Fagbemi said that the virus would still linger in Nigeria as long as many countries all over the world were experiencing surge in the number of infected people.
“If there is increase in cases globally, you cannot be talking about eradication in Nigeria. Even if we do not have many cases, people are still traveling.
“So, nobody is talking about eradication now, we are talking about controlling the situation, eradication is not even on the agenda anywhere,” he said.
Fagbemi noted that the eradication of the virus could be discussed when there is a vaccine or cure for it, adding that people were not keeping to the COVID-19 protocols.
His words: “You can’t eradicate COVID-19 until you have a vaccine that can prevent people from contacting the disease or maybe you have a good drugs.
“But today, the two major important things that we need are unavailable. There is no cure or vaccine so we are only trying to control to limit the rate of spread so nobody is talking about eradication and even the advice given to the public, no one is following it. So, eradication is like a dream now,” he said.
The position of the Executive Director, Oral Health Africa Initiative, Dr Blessing Odupitan was not different from that of Prof. Odimayo and Dr Fagbemi. She said that the current stage of the virus does not give any hope that it would disappear soon and people may have to live with it.
“Viral diseases are known to be self limiting and they usually run their course. Due to this fact, I can arguably conclude that COVID-19 is still very much prevalent.
“We may have no other option but to live with it while our immune systems build some resistance against the infection, just like we do not come down with common cold anytime we are exposed to influenza virus (flu). We all have to adapt to the new normal of proper hygiene, irrespective of if it is prevalent or not”, she said
The medical practitioner advised that people needed to keep to all health protocols instituted by health organisations and government to prevent further spread of the virus.