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Interesting developments regarding the pandemic have been emerging over the weekend. According to Hans Kluge, the World Health Organisation's Regional Director for Europe, the Omicron variant could very well move the Covid-19 pandemic into its end stages. The WHO now projects that Omicron could have infected 60% of Europeans by March, "there will be for for quite some weeks and months a global immunity, either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity due to the infection, and also lowering seasonality." In this projection, Covid-19 will be back next winter but not necessarily as "the pandemic" any more. Nevertheless, he still cautions that it's too early to consider Covid-19 endemic, as the virus has not behaved in the expected manner and new variants could still emerge.
Omicron is now the dominant variant in the EU and the EEA, according to the ECDC. Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Markets, said on French television that it is possible for vaccine producers to adapt existing vaccines to any new variants that may emerge, especially the mRNA ones.
Indeed, many EU/EEA countries have started to lift restrictions or are planning to do so in the near future, especially in the Northern half of the continent. The Irish government has decided to remove most of its Covid rules, excepting some minor ones such as mask-wearing in public closed spaces and the Covid passport, as "the rate of infection [is] falling and all other key indicators used to monitor Covid [are] going in the right direction". The Faroe Islands have decided to lift restrictions in three stages until February 28th, stating that the healthcare system is no longer under duress and that Covid is now a disease that we can live and deal with like other "regular" diseases. Neighbouring country Iceland's Minister of Health stated this morning that a plan to lift restrictions in steps will be proposed this week, citing that the healthcare system is now capable of handling the disease as the average hospitalisation length has decreased, hospitalisation rate for the infected has fallen dramatically, and the infected are recovering quicker. Similarly, the UK has been working on ending all plan B Covid restrictions in the next three months - although there doubts have been raised by the unions, the NHS, and public health representatives as the UK still has significant disruption in their school and healthcare systems, although the Labour opposition's leadership has stated that it will support the government's decision if the data backs it up.
This is an encouraging continuation of growing optimism by global healthcare professionals, with the WHO's Director General stating last December that 2022 would mark the end of the pandemic. He said "we know the virus very well and we have all the tools", going on to say that WHO projections show that vaccine supplies should be sufficient to vaccinate the entire global adult population and to give boosters to high-risk populations by the first quarter of 2022. The big challenge now was to implement the resources effectively and with global equity.
With public immunity and/or resistance looming, the priority across Europe now seems to be to lift restrictions as long as the local healthcare systems can handle the infection rates and general severity. Around the world, USA's renowned scientist Anthony Fauci, while cautioning against over-confidence, recently said that the sharp decrease in case numbers in areas of the USA may signal a turnaround for the region. Similarly, the WHO Regional Office for Africa said last week that cases of Covid have plummeted in the region and deaths are declining for the first time since the Omicron outbreak's peak.
What does Fami think? Are we finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? Or maybe just in the more privileged regions of the world? And if so, how can we help ensure equity in global resource distribution? How are things looking in your home region - similar to the areas cited in the articles above or is the story completely different?
Omicron is now the dominant variant in the EU and the EEA, according to the ECDC. Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for Internal Markets, said on French television that it is possible for vaccine producers to adapt existing vaccines to any new variants that may emerge, especially the mRNA ones.
Indeed, many EU/EEA countries have started to lift restrictions or are planning to do so in the near future, especially in the Northern half of the continent. The Irish government has decided to remove most of its Covid rules, excepting some minor ones such as mask-wearing in public closed spaces and the Covid passport, as "the rate of infection [is] falling and all other key indicators used to monitor Covid [are] going in the right direction". The Faroe Islands have decided to lift restrictions in three stages until February 28th, stating that the healthcare system is no longer under duress and that Covid is now a disease that we can live and deal with like other "regular" diseases. Neighbouring country Iceland's Minister of Health stated this morning that a plan to lift restrictions in steps will be proposed this week, citing that the healthcare system is now capable of handling the disease as the average hospitalisation length has decreased, hospitalisation rate for the infected has fallen dramatically, and the infected are recovering quicker. Similarly, the UK has been working on ending all plan B Covid restrictions in the next three months - although there doubts have been raised by the unions, the NHS, and public health representatives as the UK still has significant disruption in their school and healthcare systems, although the Labour opposition's leadership has stated that it will support the government's decision if the data backs it up.
This is an encouraging continuation of growing optimism by global healthcare professionals, with the WHO's Director General stating last December that 2022 would mark the end of the pandemic. He said "we know the virus very well and we have all the tools", going on to say that WHO projections show that vaccine supplies should be sufficient to vaccinate the entire global adult population and to give boosters to high-risk populations by the first quarter of 2022. The big challenge now was to implement the resources effectively and with global equity.
With public immunity and/or resistance looming, the priority across Europe now seems to be to lift restrictions as long as the local healthcare systems can handle the infection rates and general severity. Around the world, USA's renowned scientist Anthony Fauci, while cautioning against over-confidence, recently said that the sharp decrease in case numbers in areas of the USA may signal a turnaround for the region. Similarly, the WHO Regional Office for Africa said last week that cases of Covid have plummeted in the region and deaths are declining for the first time since the Omicron outbreak's peak.
What does Fami think? Are we finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel? Or maybe just in the more privileged regions of the world? And if so, how can we help ensure equity in global resource distribution? How are things looking in your home region - similar to the areas cited in the articles above or is the story completely different?
Since it doesn’t look like we are changing course on any policies, like closing schools, and instead we just keep trying to ignore it, I’d be shocked if it ended in six months.
