When and how will the COVID-19 pandemic end?

How will the world decide when the pandemic ends?

There is no clear definition of when a pandemic begins and ends, and the level of threat posed by a global outbreak can vary by country.

“It is a subjective judgment, because it is not just about the number of cases. It’s about severity and impact, ”explained Dr. Michael Ryan, chief of emergencies for the World Health Organization.

In January 2020, the WHO designated the coronavirus as a global health crisis “of international concern”.

Also read: Which variant is more dangerous, the omicron or the delta?

A couple of months later, in March, the United Nations health agency described the outbreak as a “pandemic,” reflecting the fact that the virus had spread to almost every continent and many other health authorities claimed that it could define itself as such.

The pandemic could be seen as over when WHO decides that the virus is no longer an emergency of international concern, a designation that its committee of experts has been re-evaluating every three months.

But when the most serious phases of the crisis pass in each country it may vary.

“There’s not going to be a day where someone says, ‘Okay, the pandemic is over,'” said Dr. Chris Woods, an infectious disease expert at Duke University. Although there is no universal criterion, he pointed out that countries could seek a sustained reduction in cases over time.

Scientists hope that COVID-19 will eventually become a more predictable virus, like the flu, which would mean that it would cause seasonal outbreaks but not large waves of infections as it does now. But even then, according to Woods, some habits like wearing a mask in public could be maintained.

“Even when the pandemic ends, COVID will remain with us,” he said.

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