Updated / Friday, 5 May 2023 18:42
The WHO’s emergency committee first declared that Covid represented its highest level of alert more than three years ago, on 30 January 2020.
The status helps focus international attention on a health threat, as well as bolstering collaboration on vaccines and treatments.
Lifting it is a sign of the progress the world has made in these areas, but Covid-19 is here to stay, the WHO has said, even if it no longer represents an emergency.
The death rate has slowed from a peak of more than 100,000 people per week in January 2021 to just over 3,500 in the week to 24 April, according to WHO data.
“However, that does not mean Covid-19 is over as a global health threat,” said Mr Ghebreyesus.
The WHO does not declare the beginning or end of pandemics, although it did start using the term for Covid in March 2020.
Last year, US President Joe Biden said the pandemic was over.
Like a number of other countries, the world’s biggest economy has begun dismantling its domestic state of emergency for Covid, meaning it will stop paying for things like vaccines.
‘Significant’
Paul Moynagh, Professor of Immunology at Maynooth University has described today’s Covid-19 announcement by the WHO has significant.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, he said that it was his view that this is the end of lockdowns, but noted that the virus is not going away and continues to circulate and will do so for many years.
He said the reason why the world had gotten to this point was due to immunity, either from vaccination or infection which is giving protection against serious illness.
He said that disease will continue to transmit, there are still deaths being recorded, but the immunity is diminishing the impact of the virus.
Prof Moynagh noted that autumn and winter were high risk times and he said the virus is unpredictable, but he suspects that the immune system will remember previous exposure and vaccination in order to protect people.
Reflection
Pete Lunn, head of the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit said that now is the time to reflect on the Covid-19 pandemic and what lessons had been learned by society, such as hybrid working. But on a larger scale, what is possible if we all act together.
He said that the world demonstrated how change can be managed in a short period of time if the public pulls together.
He also called for more reflection on well being among young people, who suffered most during the pandemic according to ESRI research.