COVID-19 pandemic may be ending, says Moderna CEO

*Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer of Moderna, declares there is an 80 percent chance that as Omicron variant of the COVID-19 evolves or SARSCov-2 virus evolves, ‘we are going to see less and less virulent viruses’

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

As the global community intensifies efforts at curbing further spread of the damaging virus and its variants, Stephane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Moderna, definitely sees light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.

In a recent interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box Asia”, Bancel said it was “reasonable” to assume that we may be approaching the final stages of the pandemic.

The Moderna CEO stated: “There’s an 80% chance that as Omicron evolves or SARSCov-2 virus evolves, we are going to see less and less virulent viruses.”

Nevertheless, Bancel, who heads a company that developed one of three COVID-19 vaccines being used in the United States (US), said there was a 20 percent chance that the next mutation of the virus could be worse than the Omicron variant.

In a related development, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has relaxed some of its guidance for cruise ships.

The health regulatory agency reportedly took the decision with the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly in retreat in recent times.

Admittedly, it’s a very slight change, said agency report.

The health agency lowered its cruise travel warning to Level 3 from Level 4, the highest such level.

The Cruise Line Industry Association (CLIA) in a statement described the development as  a step in the right direction.

CLIA said: “Cruise ships have medical, isolation, and quarantine facilities on-site, implement extensive response plans using private shoreside resources, and have created an environment where almost every single person is fully vaccinated.

“As a result, cases of COVID-19 are very low with the vast majority mild or asymptomatic—making cruise unequaled in its multi-layered approach to effectively mitigating COVID-19.”