Life in China Returning to Normal as Number of Coronavirus Cases Drop

As panic over the coronavirus continues to escalate in the U.S., life is beginning to return to normal in China, where authorities say the peak of the epidemic has passed.

New coronavirus cases in the Hubel province, where the virus was first identified, totaled eight on Thursday — the lowest number since the virus first reared its head, says Mi Feng, spokesman for the National Health Commission. No new cases have been reported outside of Hubel, Feng adds. Of the 81,000 Chinese people who have tested positive for the virus, 63,000 have fully recovered, officials say.

Chinese authorities on Thursday gave the OK for store owners to reopen their businesses and rescinded most quarantines, according to Reuters.

Does this mean the virus just has to run its course in the U.S.? Do you think the coronavirus is here to stay, like the flu is?