COVID-19 no longer a global health emergency, WHO says
COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Friday. The announcement comes more than three years after the emergency was first declared and after the virus killed close to 7 million people globally, Reuters reports.
"For more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference. "This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before COVID-19."
While it is no longer considered an emergency, the virus still exists and continues to spread. "The battle is not over. We still have weaknesses and those weaknesses that we still have in our system will be exposed by this virus or another virus," said Michael Ryan, the WHO's emergencies director. Indeed, a new COVID variant dubbed "Arcturus," of which pink eye may be a symptom, has begun circulating. In addition, many of those who were infected are suffering from long COVID, where symptoms last far longer than usual.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The WHO urges countries to reflect on the pandemic and the changes they can make to protect themselves in the future. "We can't forget those fire pyres. We can't forget the graves that were dug. None of us up here will forget them," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on COVID-19. As Tedros concluded: "We must promise ourselves and our children and grandchildren that we will never make those mistakes again."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.
-
Italian senate passes law allowing anti-abortion activists into clinics
Under The Radar Giorgia Meloni scores a political 'victory' but will it make much difference in practice?
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Magazine interactive crossword - May 3, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 3, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Magazine solutions - May 3, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - May 3, 2024
By The Week US Published
-
Bird flu worries mount as virus found in milk, cows
Speed Read The FDA found traces of the virus in pasteurized grocery store milk
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Nigeria's worsening rate of maternal mortality
Under the radar Economic crisis is making hospitals unaffordable, with women increasingly not receiving the care they need
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Dangerous substances in Lunchables are raising concerns over children's health
In the Spotlight High levels of lead and sodium were recently found in the snack packages
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Lead poisoning remains a threat
The Explainer The toxin is built into our lives
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
The best health care systems in the world
In the spotlight Getting sick has never felt better
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Covid four years on: have we got over the pandemic?
Today's Big Question Brits suffering from both lockdown nostalgia and collective trauma that refuses to go away
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published