As much as we all desperately want it to be over, experts completed the COVID-19 Pandemic remains a global health emergency. However, they hope that we will reach a transition point.
“In the past eight weeks, more than 170,000 people have lost their lives to COVID-19,” World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a press conference.
“And that’s just the reported deaths. We know the real number is much higher.”
At its recent meeting, the WHO Emergency Committee on the International Health Regulations concluded that “while this is being addressed virus from human and animal reservoirs is highly unlikely, mitigating its devastating impact on morbidity and mortality is achievable and should continue to be a priority.”
The committee notes that health systems are struggling to cope with current levels of COVID-19 on top of other diseases. The pandemic has only worsened global health care workforce shortage.
“The blunted answer would be ‘well, obvious’ from the perspective of the forward-thinking, acute health care worker.” says Australian National University emergency adviser David Caldicott in response to the meeting.
“Emergency rooms are full across the country as a result of the downstream impact of the pandemic, with both increased demands and reduced flow capacity due to hospital bed occupancy.”
But the reality our healthcare workers still face is not reflected in the actions of the general population, with the global reduction in testing and reporting highlighting one of the biggest challenges today: pandemic fatiguewhich is also meets guides and experts.
“We have labor shortages, including in our critical industries, and are neglecting ways to prevent COVID from spreading tears in the fabric of our society, whether through excessive deaths, unavailability of health care, or difficulties in educating the next generation.” says Doctor Karina Powers from Perth, Australia.
Despite these ongoing problems, many countries including the US, already have – or plan to soon – end their emergency healthcare settings, exposing patients to rising treatment costs. The US is currently experiencing around 500 known daily deaths from the virus.
“My message is clear: don’t underestimate this virus,” Tedros said warns. “It surprised us and will continue to do so, and it will continue to kill if we don’t do more to provide health tools to people who need them and to comprehensively combat misinformation.”
During not yet endemicit’s clear SARS-CoV-2 has become permanently established in human and animal populations for the foreseeable future. It is all the more important to continue the momentum for vaccinations, especially among the most vulnerable, the committee urges.
But even in this critical area, popular and government response is flagging, even in countries like Australia that initially had high vaccination rates.
“Some people looking for new bivalent fourth and fifth dose boosters are being denied access,” says Murdoch University immunologist Cassandra Berry. “Our protective immune responses need a boost once they wear off, but also need broader coverage to combat the multiple spike mutations on the virus viruses and avoid post-viral complications (long COVID).”
In addition to continuing vaccinations, the UN report calls for continued support for research into the virus and treatments, continued surveillance, early antiviral deployment, stepping up protective measures during surges and combating disinformation.
“It is clear that more needs to be done to reduce excess deaths from COVID,” says powers. “This includes higher levels of booster vaccinations, providing safe indoor air in public facilities, using masks in poorly ventilated indoor areas, returning to free, public testing, and reviewing mitigation measures used in high-risk facilities such as elderly care become facilities.
Continuing to classify the pandemic as an emergency does not mean that the situation is as serious as before. Hybrid immunity to vaccination and natural infections and antiviral drugs have reduced its severity.
The aim is to transition to a more sustainable, long-term phase of COVID-19 management. But neglecting to take action to reduce infections jeopardizes the progress we have made.
“We remain hopeful that in the coming year the world will move into a new phase where we reduce hospital admissions and deaths,” says Tedros, where “health systems are able to cope with COVID-19 in an integrated and sustainable way”.
The full statement from the 14th meeting of the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee can be found here here.
