Covid-19: From Global Emergency to Ongoing Vigilance
“The Emergency Committee convened for the fifteenth time and recommended that I declare an end to the international public health emergency. I have adopted this recommendation. With great optimism, I, therefore, declare Covid-19 no longer a global health emergency.”
These were the words of World Health Organization (WHO) Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom, which were certainly well-received because they signaled the end of the threat of a pandemic that had brought the entire world to a state of despair.
However, the WHO’s director-general cautioned that the removal of the highest level of alert did not mean the danger had passed, and that the emergency status could be reinstated if the situation changed.
This means that we are not yet off the hook, and we must all be extra vigilant to avoid falling back into the dark times that the pandemic caused.
With the new advice from the World Health Organization, it will be up to individual nations to manage Covid-19 as they see fit.
Globally, governments have strengthened healthcare systems and implemented vaccination campaigns. The tourism and travel industry is thriving.
Fortunately, people learned enough from the outbreak to be prepared to combat newly emerging microbes – the measures imposed took us on a learning journey regarding how to combat a pandemic.
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Vaccines were one of the major turning points in the pandemic on a global scale.
According to the WHO, 13 billion doses have been administered, allowing numerous individuals to be protected from fatal diseases.
However, in many nations, vaccines have not been administered as effectively as desired – not at 100 percent.
More than 765 million confirmed Covid infections have been recorded worldwide, according to available statistics.
According to a mathematical modeling study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Covid-19 vaccines reduced by nearly two-thirds the potential global death toll during the pandemic in their first year, saving an estimated 19.8 million lives.
Without vaccination, an estimated 18.1 million deaths would have occurred during the study period.
The model estimated that vaccination prevented 14.4 million of these fatalities.
They estimated that 15,5 million (78.2%) of the deaths prevented were due to direct vaccine effects.
The remainder was attributable to indirect vaccine effects, such as decreased disease transmission and decreased healthcare system burden.
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According to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), slightly more than 50 percent of the 1,2 billion people on the continent are fully immunized against coronavirus.
Vaccination campaigns in Africa aided greatly. With Covid-19 vaccines being administered at a high rate in almost all African countries. And we must encourage those who have not been vaccinated to do so to create a safe environment for everyone.
Secure and efficient Vaccines against Covid-19 are a game-changing weapon in the fight against a global pandemic.
Being vaccinated does not mean that we can throw caution to the wind. And put ourselves and others at risk. We still need to be cautious and take precautions to maintain a safe environment.
Data from East Africa indicate that up to 40 million Covid-19 vaccines may be wasted. Due to apathy and logistical difficulties in the fight against the deadly coronavirus.
Even as the world fully opens up and most Covid-19 measures are loosened. Emphasis should be placed on adult vaccination – we must be cautious and safe.
Good health is irreplaceable.
Covid-19: From Global Emergency to Ongoing Vigilance
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