Covid-19: Have We Passed The Worst Of It?
Is this the beginning of the end of the pandemic?
Over the weekend, I attended the most gloriously packed event since the 2019–20 NYE. It was at Fair Day, the start of Sydney’s Mardi Gras season, and I was in amongst a crowd of 35,000 people. It was wondrous!
And I don’t think I was the only one who felt awestruck. Near the main stage, other revelers plucked out their cell phones and recorded the surrounding crowd in a 360 degree pirouette. Their faces were akin to satisfaction.
Ultimately, the crowd felt free. As if the world wasn’t going through a global pandemic. As if life was peachy.
Of course, this moment of content was made possible by the easing of many Covid-19 restrictions in New South Wales, Australia last week. And now, from today (as I write this), most other restrictions have been scrapped, too, making way for a marvelous weekend.
And Australia isn’t the only place this is happening. The UK has scrapped their restrictions yesterday on February 24. As has much of Europe. And even South Africa, where Omicron once emerged, is easing much of their restrictions.
Which led me to ask the question: have we passed the worst of Covid-19?
I put this question to Professor Ramon Shaban, an epidemiology researcher and Clinical Chair of Infection Prevention and Disease Control at The University of Sydney. He praised the Australian response to Covid-19, vaccination rates and compliance with health orders.
“Never in the history of modern medicine and healthcare have we seen such update and compliance at a population level and in such a short time frame,” Professor Ramon said.
“On the back of this I’m sure that there are many people who feel that the worst of this, for now, is over — and in many ways it is.
“The relaxations in gathering and movement reflect this, and the community should be proud of our collective efforts and all that we have done over the last two and a bit years in managing COVID-19.”
But, according to Ramon, we are not out of the woods just yet. In Australia, winter is coming, and with it our seasonal flu. And our tight border restrictions over the past two years may come back to bite us.
“We have had very few cases of influenza during 2020–2021 which means increased vulnerability from a lack of natural immunity across the populations, which is why vaccination for influenza is critical.
“And there will be more variants of COVID-19 in the future, as it the case for other respiratory viruses. It is important to reflect that with extraordinary rates of vaccination coupled with latent natural immunity from current and existing outbreaks will go along way to keep us safe from future variants.
“We must however continue to practice good basic personal hygiene — in particular staying home and isolating if we are unwell.”
When Will Covid-19 Become Endemic?
In most of Australia, it’s clear that — at least on a societal level — the Covid-19 pandemic is now endemic. We are learning to live with the virus as it continues to circulate the community, with little restrictions in force.
Officially, however, it is still considered a pandemic across much of the world. And, according to Ramon, calling it endemic “depends where, based on country and jurisdiction.”
But, despite the name, endemic doesn’t mean the end. We’re not gonna be flinging our masks in the air tomorrow as if we’re graduating. The threat of Covid-19 is still very much real, especially for those who are immunocompromised and/or elderly. It’s all about personal responsibility and looking out for those around you.
Wash your hands regularly, distance yourself from others if you are sick and wear a mask if you must.
We may possibly have passed the worst of it, but Covid-19 is still here.
