Global COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declared Over by WHO

The World Health Organization announced on May 5 that COVID-19 is no longer a global public health emergency. The organization cited a decline in COVID-19-related deaths and hospitalizations, as well as high levels of immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus from vaccination or prior infection. Although the pandemic is not yet over, these trends indicate that it is time to shift towards long-term prevention and control of the disease.

Infectious disease specialist Peter Chin-Hong of the University of California, San Francisco, called the decision “reasonable” and noted that it followed many countries doing the same thing. However, Chin-Hong cautioned that this does not mean that COVID-19 is no longer a global health threat.

As of May 3, more than 750 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported to the WHO worldwide, resulting in nearly 7 million deaths, including over 1.1 million in the United States. WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, 2020, the highest level of alarm under international law. Two months later, the organization also declared the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak a pandemic.

While the WHO's designations spurred scientific cooperation and data-sharing initiatives, tests, vaccines, and treatments have also been developed over the past year. More than 13 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide.

The WHO's announcement does not diminish the remaining challenges of COVID-19, including global inequities in accessing care and vaccines, an evolving virus, and pandemic fatigue. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged countries to keep their COVID-19 systems in place and remind people that SARS-CoV-2 is still dangerous, stating that “This virus is here to stay. It’s still killing, and it’s still changing.”

WHO plans to form a committee to examine long-term management strategies for COVID-19. However, the end of the PHEIC may result in decreased tracking data and research funding, which could impede the development of new treatments and vaccines.

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