Why this is the year we can defeat the virus

This winter may be reminiscent of those dark and precarious months when the COVID-19 pandemic first surfaced and wreaked havoc across the globe.

The past two years have been calamitous, with the coronavirus infecting more than 300 million people and claiming the lives of more than 5.5 million. With the recent emergence of the virulent omicron variant of the virus, news headlines have been bleak and many nations are once again struggling with overwhelmed healthcare systems and movement restrictions.

Nevertheless, our ingenuity and resilience have taken us light years ahead in managing the pandemic and mitigating its risks. In just two years we have uncovered innovative prevention mechanisms, rapid diagnostics, effective vaccines and boosters, and lifesaving treatments. Scientists across the globe are continually discovering enlightening information about the virus that is then shared on global research databases, such as the one managed by the World Health Organization.

We have made stellar progress with vaccination rates, with nearly 9.5 billion vaccine doses already administered in 220 countries, protecting more than 3 billion people. At current rates, 70 percent of the world’s population will be double-jabbed by the end of February. Epidemiologists have estimated that herd immunity can be achieved once 70 to 85 percent of the population is vaccinated against COVID-19, making it less likely to spread.

At the same time, COVAX, a global initiative co-led by the WHO, is accelerating the development and production of COVID-19 vaccines, and providing equitable access to disadvantaged populations. Many governments have also pledged to donate millions of vaccines to low-income countries, such as the generous donations by the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the UK, US, and several European countries. With the disease transitioning to endemicity, similar to the annual flu season, healthcare systems will have to introduce annualbooster doses to provide protection for waning immunity and against emerging variants.

Meanwhile, a string of innovative and game-changing treatments are also becoming widely available. Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration approved two over-the-counter oral treatments, Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Merck’s molnupiravir, to treat mild-to-moderate symptoms of COVID-19 infection. Paxlovid reduces risk of hospital admission or death by about 89 percent for high-risk patients and 70 percent for standard-risk patients.

Though we are still in the middle of the storm, there is much to be optimistic about this year.

Sara Al-Mulla

A pivotal lever in managing the pandemic is for nations to work closely together. A number of key initiatives arepart of this global cooperation. For instance, the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence was established in Berlin to detect new pandemic potential and inform timely public health interventions that prevent and mitigate pandemic and epidemic-related risks. Harnessing cutting-edge epidemiological data science and analytics will empower decision makers in formulating rapid response plans that mitigate viral transmission.

In the coming years, it will be more important than ever to establish diligent global health security systems that withstand future outbreaks. Governments will need to upgrade important aspects of their healthcare systems, including improving early detection of health incidents of international concern, deploying early and rapid responses that mitigate the transmission of diseases, nurturing a sizable and competent medical workforce, upgrading healthcare infrastructure, and complying with international health standards. More important, it is vital that universal health coverage is secured so that vulnerable populations are not put in risky situations.

Moreover, it is imperative that nations invest in vaccine research and development, case management and treatment plans, the invention of life-saving medical devices, digital health technologies, data analytics, and effective medication.

In particular, more research needs to be channeled toward understanding and treating long COVID, a condition defined as experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms for more than four weeks after initial infection. A recently published study by Penn State College of Medicine estimates that more than half of the 236 million people who were infected with Covid-19 since December 2019 will experience long COVID up to six months after recovery.

Evidence has accumulated steadily on the commonly reported symptoms, which include fatigue, intermittent fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, muscle ache, headache, and difficulty concentrating. Such debilitating symptoms have affected people’s ability to work and live independently, with many reporting depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder as a result.

Public health policies will remain critical in mitigating transmission in the community. Exercising individual responsibility and vigilance will remain of utmost importance until adequate global herd immunity levels are achieved. The roster of public health measures will continue, such as wearing masks, regularly washing the hands, sanitization practices, physical distancing, at-home testing, avoiding crowds, quarantining, and getting vaccinated.

Though we are still in the middle of the storm, there is much to be optimistic about this year. We have, indeed, achieved remarkable feats in managing this pandemic and with the collective intelligence of the global community, we can hope to defeat it in 2022.

• Sara Al-Mulla is an Emirati civil servant with an interest in human development policy and children’s literature. She can be contacted at www.amorelicious.com.