With the evolving transition of the pandemic into the “endemic” phase and ease of back-to-normal mindset, the panel of experts at the University of Michigan warned that it might not be the case.
The devastating killer coronavirus has killed millions worldwide with countless left with lasting physical, mental and economic scars and is continuing. Hence, the new “endemic” phase, where the virus can’t be eliminated from circulation and could b> still rise again, requires a different attitude.
‘With the widespread BA2 form of the omicron variant, the new endemic phase of the pandemic mandates a rather altered approach.’
“COVID-19 is not gone, its impacts are not equally distributed, and there remain many people who are vulnerable to long-term effects and future infections,” says Lindsay Kobayashi, Ph.D., a social epidemiologist at the U-M School of Public Health and leader of the COVID-19 Coping Study.
“Endemic doesn’t always mean that the virus doesn’t matter or doesn’t affect our lives. We aren’t going to fully control or eradicate it for a very long time. By understanding that we will be living around COVID-19 for a while, we can turn our attention to making sure we have systems in place for monitoring and responding,” says Emily Martin, Ph.D., an epidemiologist and associate professor at the U-M School of Public Health.
Source: Medindia
