Prognosis

We Will Be Living With the Coronavirus Pandemic Well Into 2021

Most experts believe a vaccine won’t be ready until next year. It’s time to reset our expectations and change our behavior.

A family member mourns at the grave of a Covid-19 victim at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 29, 2020.

A family member mourns at the grave of a Covid-19 victim at the Vila Formosa cemetery in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 29, 2020.

Photographer: Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg

The virus is winning. That much is certain more than six months into a shape-shifting pandemic that’s killed more than 454,000 people worldwide, is gaining ground globally and has disrupted lives from Wuhan to Sao Paulo.

While promising, fast-moving vaccine projects are underway in China, Europe and the U.S., only the most optimistic expect an effective shot to be ready for global distribution this year.