COVID-19 IS NO LONGER A GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. That’s according to a recent World Health Organization declaration. The COVID health emergency is over. The WHO had declared it an emergency on January 30, 2020.

The World Health Organization reserves the designation of a public health emergency of international concern for only the most serious disease outbreaks. Since 2007, the WHO has assigned the label seven times:

• Monkeypox
• Covid
• Zika
• H1N1 flu
• Polio
• Ebola (twice)

Now, WHO data shows that COVID-related deaths have fallen steadily over the last three months. There has been a drop from over 41,000 weekly deaths at the start of January 2023 to around 3,500 by April 24, 2023.

US President Joe Biden signed a resolution into law last month ending the country’s Covid national emergency.

“I didn’t expect to recover from my second operation, but since I did, I consider I’m living on borrowed time. Every day that dawns is a gift to me, and I take it in that way. I accept it gratefully without looking beyond it. I completely forget my physical suffering and all the unpleasantness of my present condition. I think only of the joy of seeing the sunrise once more and of being able to work a little bit, even under difficult conditions.”
― Henri Matisse

COVID Health Emergency Ends

Fortunately, pandemic-related illnesses and deaths have declined for over a year. Population immunity has risen, secondary to infection and vaccination. We are beginning to return to life as we remember it before COVID-19.

On a personal note, I have always felt especially close to COVID. My colleague and extraordinary clinician, Dr. Frank Riedo, was the first to report a case in the United States. Several nursing home individuals came to our Seattle suburban hospital, Evergreen Hospital.

Let’s be clear: We are not completely out of the woods. Worldwide, someone died from COVID every three minutes last week, according to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. This figure only includes reported deaths.

Tedros adds this warning: “The worst thing any country could do now is to use this news as a reason to let down its guard, to dismantle the systems it has built, or to send the message to its people that Covid-19 is nothing to worry about.

In the USA, weekly deaths have dropped to levels similar to March 2020. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers that we have approximately 158 deaths, on average, daily.

My colleague Dr. Riedo can transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 alongside other infectious diseases. Bravo to all who helped us navigate the COVID pandemic.

Key points — The COVID Health Emergency Ends

Question. Is the COVID health emergency over?

Findings. COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency. That’s according to a recent World Health Organization declaration.

Meaning. We are entering a phase in which we can approach COVID-19 as we do for other infectious diseases. Still, we cannot let our guard completely down as 158 souls (and more worldwide) die daily in the USA.

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The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.

Thank you for reading “Covid Emergency Over.”