China's new infections of the coronavirus have slowed to a trickle and could soon reach zero for the first time in months. But what could be a sign the country has defeated the fatal pathogen is likely to just be a temporary reprieve.
While the outbreak's epicenter has shifted to Europe, where there are now more cases being reported daily than at the height of China's crisis, epidemiologists warn that the Asian giant could face subsequent waves of infections, based on patterns seen in other pandemics.
The nature of this particular virus also raises the risk of a resurgence. The coronavirus is harder to detect and lingers longer than the one that caused SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) in 2003, which infected 8,000 people before fading out. That will make future waves of the new pandemic more difficult to prevent.