The WHO announced on Wednesday that the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19 could become endemic. Endemic viruses are regularly found among particular people or in a certain area. The WHO went on to warn that the virus will probably keep circulating and said it will take a “massive effort” to counter it. WHO emergencies expert Mike Ryan told an online briefing; "this virus may never go away,". Public health experts say it will take a "massive effort" to combat it and extreme caution is needed to avoid new outbreaks. Globally there have been over 4.4 million cases of COVID-19 confirmed, with over 298,000 deaths.