United States: On May 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) proclaimed that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a “public health emergency of international concern.”
This pivotal decision was made following the 15th assembly of the WHO’s International Health Regulations Emergency Committee, held a day earlier on May 4.
WHO Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated in a virtual briefing that the pandemic’s downward trajectory has persisted for over a year. This decline is largely attributed to enhanced population immunity through both vaccination and infection, coupled with reduced mortality rates and lessened strain on healthcare infrastructures, according to NBC News.
“This trend has facilitated most nations in resuming life akin to pre-COVID-19 times. Hence, with cautious optimism, I announce that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global health emergency. Nevertheless, this does not equate to the cessation of COVID-19 as a global health threat. Just last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every three minutes — and these are merely the deaths that have been officially recorded,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, said.
Is the COVID-19 pandemic truly over?
Although over three years have passed since the WHO first categorized COVID-19 as a public health emergency in January 2020, millions of individuals — estimates suggest over 7 million — have lost their lives. However, Dr Tedros contended that the true death toll could be closer to 20 million, emphasizing that the virus remains a significant global hazard.
Many nations have adapted to living with the virus over the past year or longer, though others have yet to reach an “endemic” state.
Moreover, a novel coronavirus subvariant known as Arcturus is circulating in no fewer than 31 countries. However, the WHO has stated that it is no more perilous than existing COVID-19 variants.
Dr Katherine O’Brien, Director of Immunization, Vaccines, and Biologicals at the WHO, mentioned during a media briefing that the risk of severe illness and mortality remains relatively low in numerous countries, particularly those boasting high vaccination rates, as per NBC News.
“Vaccines have played an instrumental role in safeguarding populations,” she remarked, underscoring that the WHO’s announcement does not signal the end of the struggle against the virus. “Continued efforts are vital for the life-saving efficacy of the vaccines,” she emphasized.
In alignment with the WHO’s proclamation, Dr Tedros unveiled the organization’s 2023-2025 COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, a document outlining strategies for countries transitioning to long-term COVID-19 management.
This strategic plan delineates actions for addressing the virus in five crucial domains:
1. Collaborative surveillance
2. Community fortification
3. Safe and scalable healthcare
4. Access to countermeasures
5. Emergency Coordination
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist and technical lead for the WHO’s COVID-19 response, acknowledged that many countries, especially those in Africa, have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and will require ongoing intervention to mitigate infection rates, as per NBC News.
“The worst possible action is to dismantle systems,” Dr Van Kerkhove stressed, adding that the WHO will continue to assist nations in fine-tuning the agency’s Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan, a two-year initiative.
COVID-19 mortality rates hit record lows
Depending on one’s location, the WHO’s decision to terminate the pandemic’s global emergency status may seem long overdue.
Some countries, like the United States, have operated as though no COVID-19 emergency has been in effect for quite some time.
Dr Van Kerkhove emphasized that the WHO’s decision was not made hastily and was carefully deliberated. The path forward in mitigating the spread and severity of COVID-19, she emphasized, is “about vaccines — and not solely vaccines.”
Dr Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, noted, “Humanity possesses an inherent resilience to withstand crises,” while adding that “there is more work to be done to ensure we are serving populations appropriately.”
Dr Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease expert from the University of California, San Francisco, told Medical News Today that the global COVID-19 mortality rate has reached its lowest point since the pandemic’s onset.
“It is fitting for the WHO to declare an end to the public health emergency,” Dr Gandhi remarked.
“Many nations with high vaccination rates had already concluded their public health emergencies over a year ago,” she added, referencing the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s shift to endemic management in April 2022.
In the US, the COVID-19 emergency will formally conclude on May 11, 2023.
Should you still get a booster and wear a mask?
Certain populations may still need to adopt precautions to safeguard themselves from COVID-19, as the WHO warns that the virus will continue to retain a pandemic-like presence, akin to HIV.
Dr Gandhi advises that immunocompromised individuals should receive regular booster doses, ideally every six months, as outlined in a paper she co-authored and published in The Lancet and as also recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Unfortunately, masks have not proven as effective as once hoped at the outset of the pandemic, so vaccination should remain the cornerstone of protection for those with compromised immune systems,” Dr Gandhi concluded.