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."
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.
-
July 26 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Saturday's political cartoons include Joe Biden's memoir, PBS funding, and an Obama-Trump comparison
-
5 low ratings cartoons about the Late Show cancellation
Cartoons Artists take on early warning signs, the Gen Z stare, and more
-
Connie Francis: Superstar of the early 1960s pop scene
In the Spotlight The 'Pretty Little Baby' and 'Stupid Cupid' singer has died aged 87
-
Not just a number: how aging rates vary by country
The explainer Inequality is a key factor
-
Children's health has declined in the US
The Explainer It's likely a sign of larger systemic issues
-
Measles cases surge to 33-year high
Speed Read The infection was declared eliminated from the US in 2000 but has seen a resurgence amid vaccine hesitancy
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Deadly fungus tied to a pharaoh's tomb may help fight cancer
Under the radar A once fearsome curse could be a blessing
-
Kennedy's vaccine panel signals skepticism, change
Speed Read RFK Jr.'s new vaccine advisory board intends to make changes to the decades-old US immunization system
-
Climate change can impact our gut health
Under the radar The gastrointestinal system is being gutted
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts