The World Health Organization's special envoy on Covid-19 has said the world cannot wait for universal testing, or a vaccine to "come out of lockdown" and people will have to find new ways to live with the threat of the virus in their lives.

Dr David Nabarro said people will need to find ways to go about their business, otherwise we will be "paralysed" by the virus.

He said getting everyone on board and learning to live with this "as best we can" knowing the coronavirus has not gone away, is key to reducing restrictions on social and economic activity.

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sean O’Rourke, Dr Nabarro said it is an impossible task for everyone to be tested and the virus is "not going to stop and wait for tests so we need to defend ourselves in the midst" of it.

He said communities will have to be vigilant and find people with the disease, isolate them quickly and trace and isolate their contacts.

He said a lot depends on our own responsibility to decide not to go out to a gathering or to work if you have symptoms like a cough or a temperature & it will be our civic duty to act responsibly both collectively and individually to help protect against "such a vicious virus".