WHO official says it's 'premature' to think pandemic will be over by end of year

A top World Health Organization (WHO) official said Monday that it is unlikely that the coronavirus pandemic will end completely in 2021, but noted that deaths and hospitalizations should be drastically reduced by the end of the year due to widespread vaccine access.

The Associated Press reported that Michael Ryan, head of the WHO's emergencies program, told reporters in London it is "premature" and "unrealistic" to think that COVID-19 would disappear in 2021.

“If we’re smart, we can finish with the hospitalizations and the deaths and the tragedy associated with this pandemic," Ryan said.