Projecting the SARS-CoV-2 transition from pandemicity to endemicity: Epidemiological and immunological considerations

PLoS Pathog. 2022 Jun 30;18(6):e1010591. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010591. eCollection 2022 Jun.

Abstract

In this review, we discuss the epidemiological dynamics of different viral infections to project how the transition from a pandemic to endemic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) might take shape. Drawing from theories of disease invasion and transmission dynamics, waning immunity in the face of viral evolution and antigenic drift, and empirical data from influenza, dengue, and seasonal coronaviruses, we discuss the putative periodicity, severity, and age dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 as it becomes endemic. We review recent studies on SARS-CoV-2 epidemiology, immunology, and evolution that are particularly useful in projecting the transition to endemicity and highlight gaps that warrant further research.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19* / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Pandemics*
  • SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.