(03-12-2020 09:42 PM)Hammersmith Wrote:  Eventually enough people will have gotten the disease and become immune, plus hopefully a vaccine will increase those numbers, that the virus can't spread effectively anymore.

This is what is called "herd immunity". It's why Chancellor Merkel was saying 50% to 70% of the German population would be infected if action is not taken.

Quote:However the nightmare scenario is that beating the virus does not convey immunity. In that case, all bets are off and start praying for a quick vaccine.

So far the indications are that recovered patients acquire immunity. That would seem to also be implied by the success they have had in using the plasma of recovered individuals in helping to treat critically ill cases.