Unlikely that people will move around with masks on forever: Fauci

Warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and Omicron would not be the last variant, global health experts on Monday said a lot would depend on transmissibility and severity of the next mutants of the deadly virus.

Speaking at a session on COVID-19 on the first day of the World Economic Forum's online Davos Agenda summit, famous American immunologist Anthony S Fauci said that while it was difficult to predict as yet what could be the new normal, he does not think that people will roam around with their masks on forever.

"Omicron is highly transmissible, but apparently not very pathogenic. While I hope that remains the case, but that would depend on what new variants emerge going forward," he said.