INTERNATIONAL – Officials with the World Health Organization are warning the public globally that coronavirus may be here to stay.

In a Wednesday news conference, WHO emergencies director Dr. Mike Ryan told journalists we have a “long, long way to go” before the pandemic can be considered over.

"It is important to put this on the table— this virus may become just another endemic virus in our communities and this virus may never go away," Ryan said Wednesday.

He went on to point out that HIV has never gone away but we’ve developed treatments for the illness that allow people who are infected to live normal lives.

While he said he didn’t want to compare the two, he hopes we can potentially develop and distribute a coronavirus vaccine that could eventually bring an end to the disease, but even then the chances of that happening are unlikely.

In order for that to happen, Ryan says the vaccine would not only have to be highly effective, it would have to be distributed to everyone, and everyone would have to use it.

The WHO first started issuing warnings and guidance globally about COVID-19 in January. The first case of the virus was found in the U.S. in February. Portions of the country started going on lockdown soon after due to how quickly the virus spreads from person to person.

“Countries, as you’ve seen, are trying to find a path out and a path towards a ‘new normal’ as many people have put it. We’re going to be on that pathway for a long, long time,” said Ryan.

Ryan went on to stress the importance of trying to get case numbers down before allowing people to gather again.

Some parts of the world and the U.S. have begun reopening after experiencing negative impacts on the economy.

Ryan warned though that there is a danger in reopening too early, stressing the possibility of a second wave of the virus if it’s not reduced properly.

He also stressed that the health and economic sides of this pandemic shouldn’t be treated separately, but as one. He said if a second wave hits and countries have to close their economies again, the strain could be even worse on the economic side.