In 2022 the world emerged from COVID, again
STORY: In 2022 the world emerged from COVID, again.
For much of the world, 2022 marked the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General:
"We are much closer to being able to say that the emergency phase of the pandemic is over."
The shift was palpable after several failed re-opening attempts in many countries.
U.S. President Joe Biden said in September “the pandemic is over," referring to the changing behavior of Americans.
New variants have remained closely related to the late 2021 Omicron variant – without radically altering its impact.
Vaccination and boosters are largely protective against severe disease and death.
But global health officials caution the public against letting its guard down.
COVID continues to loom large in everyday life.
The virus has killed almost seven million people globally, with an ongoing daily death rate of close to 2,000 people.
Access to vaccines, boosters and treatments remains unequal. Outbreaks continue to disrupt lives globally.
In China a zero-COVID policy kept deaths to a minimum and spared its healthcare system.
But the large-scale lockdowns proved increasingly intolerable to the Chinese public.
COVID’s full impact on global health could come into sharp focus in 2023.
Data shows ongoing disruption to all kinds of healthcare, from childhood immunizations to cancer screenings.
Life expectancy and birth rates in many countries have fallen. Mental health concerns are skyrocketing.
Health experts question whether these changes will persist, and how best to deal with them.
The WHO and its members are hashing out a pandemic treaty to govern a better response to future outbreaks.
And they remain on alert for a new variant that could dramatically undermine current vaccines and treatments.
