- On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency.
- The public health agency acknowledged that COVID-19 remains an ongoing global health issue, particularly on the African continent.
- Experts say most people may no longer need a mask, though regular booster shots are still recommended for immunocompromised individuals.
On May 5, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a virtual media briefing that COVID-19 is no longer a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The decision to end the pandemic’s emergency status after more than three years followed the
The WHO’s Director-General, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said in a media briefing the pandemic has been on a downward trend for more than a year, as population immunity has increased from both vaccination and infection, while mortality rates have decreased and overall pressure on health systems have eased.
“This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19. It is therefore with great hope that I declare COVID-19 over as a global health emergency. However, that does not mean COVID-19 is over as a global health threat. Last week, COVID-19 claimed a life every 3 minutes — and that’s just the deaths we know about.”
– Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General
More than three years since the WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in January 2020, millions of people — estimates of around 7 million or more — have died. However, Dr. Tedros said those estimates could be closer to 20 million deaths, warning the virus still posed a significant global threat.
While many countries have learned to live with the virus for a year or more, others are far from “endemic” status.
In addition, a new coronavirus subvariant, Arcturus, is circulating in at least 31 countries, though the WHO says…
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