Covid-19 may well become a seasonal virus returning each winter, scientists have said.

Experts believe that Covid-19 may become seasonal in the same way that other coronaviruses are. Currently seven coronaviruses have infected humans with most causing cold-like symptoms.

So far around 20 per cent of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus named Covid-19 have been classed as severe or critical, and the current death rate stands at about two per cent.

But scientists have said that it is likely that it will become seasonal, meaning it may well taper off over spring before returning in the winter.

Professor John Oxford, a virologist from Queen Mary University of London, said: “It’s a question of crystal ball gazing but if you look at other members of the coronavirus family, that are respiratory viruses and we've known about them for the last 50 years or more, they're seasonal.

“They're just like the common cold, there's probably a few thousand people infected with them at the moment in England.

“Whether Covid-19 will fit into that pattern or not, we will just have to wait and see but my guess is it will . He said it had “enough characteristics” similar to the viruses we've known about for the last 50 years for it to eventually “settle down and become seasonal”.

Dr Oxford added that if the virus were seasonal we will begin to see “the figures drop off”.

That, coupled with social distancing including not kissing or hugging, and washing hands would buy the industry time to develop antiviral drugs, which he said “can be delivered quite quickly”.