Forgotten, but not gone: Five years later, the coronavirus continues to kill people

A laboratory technician prepares COVID-19 patient samples for semi-automated testing at the Northwell Health Lab in Lake Success, New York, Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Photo credit: AP

Five years after Covid-19 began disrupting the world, the virus is still infecting and killing people around the world, but at levels not seen at the height of the pandemic. much lower than that.

Here is the current play status.

still with us

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 777 million coronavirus cases and more than 7 million deaths have been officially recorded since the first infections emerged in December 2019.

However, the actual number of victims is believed to be much higher.

The pandemic has also crippled health systems, collapsed economies and forced citizens of many countries into lockdown.

In the second half of 2022, infection and mortality rates decreased due to increased immunity from vaccination and previous infection. The virus has also mutated and become less severe.

In May 2023, the WHO declared the emergency phase of the pandemic over.

Since then, the virus appears to have gradually become endemic, experts say, with occasional resurgences similar to influenza, albeit less seasonally.

He also largely stayed out of the public eye.

“The world wants to forget this pathogen that is still among us, and people are trying to put COVID-19 in the past as if it’s over and in many ways pretend it never happened. Because it's so traumatic,” WHO pandemic preparedness chief Maria van Kerkhove said last month.

According to the WHO, more than 3,000 people died from the new coronavirus in 27 countries between October and November last year.

More than 95% of official coronavirus deaths were recorded between 2020 and 2022.

variations

Since the emergence of the Omicron variant in November 2021, it has been rapidly replacing itself as the dominant strain around the world.

Currently, Omicron variant KP.3.1.1 is the most common.

Although the increase in XEC is limited to “variants under surveillance” by the WHO, the UN agency assesses the global health risk of XEC as low.

Although none of the historical Omicron subvariants was significantly more severe than others, some experts believe that future subvariants may be more transmissible or more lethal. He warns that it is not out of the question.

Vaccines and treatments

Vaccines against the coronavirus were developed in record time and have proven to be powerful weapons against the virus, with more than 13.6 billion doses administered worldwide to date.

But wealthy countries bought up most of the initial doses, creating unequal distribution around the world.

The updated booster vaccination for the JN.1 Omicron subvariant is still recommended in some countries, especially for at-risk groups such as the elderly.

However, the WHO said most people, including the elderly, have not received booster shots.

Even among health workers, booster vaccination coverage in 2024 was less than 1%, according to the WHO.

long corona

Millions of people are suffering from the long-term effects of the coronavirus, with symptoms lasting months after initial infection still poorly understood.

Common symptoms include fatigue, brain fog, and shortness of breath.

The WHO said last month that about 6% of people infected with coronavirus develop long-term coronavirus infection, adding that the condition “continues to place a significant burden on health systems.”

The novel coronavirus remains unknown for a long time. There are no tests or treatments. Multiple infections with the coronavirus appear to increase the likelihood of developing this condition.

Future pandemic?

Scientists are warning that a new pandemic will occur sooner or later, and are calling on the world to learn the lessons of the coronavirus and prepare for the next one.

Avian influenza (H5N1) has been in the spotlight recently, especially after the United States reported its first death from the virus on Monday.

U.S. health officials said the Louisiana patient had underlying health conditions and contracted H5N1 after being exposed to infected birds, stressing there was no evidence of human-to-human transmission.

Since late 2021, WHO member states have been negotiating the world's first treaty on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.

But a deal remains elusive ahead of a May deadline, with key fault lines between Western countries and poorer countries wary of being sidelined during the next pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has also seen a significant increase in skepticism and misinformation about vaccines.

Experts say vaccine skeptic and conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to be secretary of health, will be in charge of the U.S. response to the threat of a potential pandemic for the next four years. warning of the possibility of