COVID-19 May 'Never Go Away,' br Leading WHO Official Says According to Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO's health emergencies program, coronavirus could join the ranks of diseases that pop up annually. He made the comments at a br briefing this week in Geneva. Dr. Mike Ryan, via briefing Dr. Mike Ryan, via briefing Ryan adds that the effectiveness of a vaccine will depend br on if COVID-19 is a long or short-term issue. Dr. Mike Ryan, via briefing Dr. Mike Ryan, via briefing WHO epidemiologist Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove says br humans can control how big a global impact COVID-19 has. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, via briefing Data from Johns Hopkins University br says over 4.4 million have been infected worldwide. As of May 14, the coronavirus is responsible br for over 301,000 deaths globally.