WHO offers a plan to get out of the emergency phase of the pandemic

The plan outlines 3 possible scenarios of how virus SARS-CoV-2 may develop in the coming year.

“Based on what we know so far, the most likely scenario is that the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues to evolve, but the severity of the disease COVID-19 that it causes decreases over time, as immunity increases because (people) have been vaccinated and already have the disease,” said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in an interview. meeting.

In this case, the virus causes less severe outbreaks than normal mutation transmission as immunity declines.

Booster vaccines may be needed for those most at risk. The virus is likely to follow a seasonal pattern, which peaks in the colder months, similar to flu.

According to the WHO, in the best-case scenario, the variants coming here will be “significantly less severe”, with long-term protection from severe disease without future booster shots or significant changes. for current vaccines.

World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (Photo: AP)

In the worst case scenario, the virus mutates into a new, highly transmissible and deadly threat. In this case, the vaccine will be less effective and immunity from severe illness and death will wane rapidly, necessitating significant changes to the current vaccine, as well as a need for a vaccination campaign. broadly reiterate to vulnerable groups.

The Strategic Preparedness, Preparedness and Response Plan report is WHO’s third report and possibly the final one, Tedros said.

To help end the pandemic emergency, WHO is calling on countries to continue or strengthen their surveillance capabilities for the virus, thereby detecting early warning signs of significant changes in the virus. At the same time, WHO calls for improved detection of persistent COVID-19 symptoms, in order to monitor and reduce long-term disability after the pandemic is over.

According to WHO, countries must continue to perform diagnostic testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, to help identify individual cases and guide decision-making at the community level, as well as to monitor progress. evolution of viruses in animal populations.

WHO continues to push injection target vaccine against COVID-19 for 70% of the world’s population, focusing on the most vulnerable.

The report acknowledges that current vaccines are proving less effective than expected in reducing transmission of the Omicron variant, but says the vaccine’s target remains relevant.

As of the end of March 2022, more than 11 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered globally, but about 36% of the world’s population had yet to receive the first shot.

The first WHO report on COVID-19 was published in February 2020, when the pandemic began.

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