COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency, but it is still here
Do you remember where you were when COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency? Some questions people had were: How long would the virus linger? Who was most susceptible? How could we access testing? What masks should we wear for the best protection? Three years later and we have a better but not full grasp of the disease; rapid tests are now available in drugstores, and several bivalent vaccines have been developed to help prevent severe illness and death. Although COVID-19 is no longer classified as a public health emergency, it doesn't mean it's the end of it. The virus continues to impact lives daily. As highlighted by the WHO’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a person dies due to COVID every three minutes, not to mention those suffering from Long COVID.
NYC Forced to Pause
In New York City, the fast-paced lifestyle is practically a job requirement. So whether you're rushing to a doctor's appointment, trying to catch a train, or simply running late, there is always a rush. However, all of that paused in early 2020 as a pneumonia-like illness spread rapidly across the globe. According to the CDC, on March 11, 2020, there were over 118,000 cases of COVID-19 in 114 countries, resulting in 4,291 deaths. In response, public health authorities implemented strategies to prevent the spread of the virus. For example, people were advised to avoid gathering in small groups, wear masks, and get tested if they exhibited COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, those who tested positive had to wear a mask around others and isolate for 5-10 days.
Vaccinations and Commercials
Towards the end of 2020, vaccines became available for adults aged 16 and older. Some folks were excited that they could add a more straightforward prevention tool that would last them months of protection from hospitalization. Others hesitated to receive the vaccine due to fears of personal freedom violations, religion, profiteering, COVID denial, or lack of effectiveness. However, if you lived in NYC at the time, you would constantly see doctors urging everybody to get vaccinated.
So what now?
Three years later, we have come a long way with multiple bivalent vaccines, which helped people who contracted COVID-19 avoid hospitalization and death.
On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 no longer a public health emergency as hospitalization rates reached their lowest numbers. A couple of days later, President Biden made the same announcement to the U.S. As a result, in some health centers and hospitals, staff no longer require wearing masks. However, COVID-19 is still around, with the latest Omicron sub-variant labeled Arcturus, XBB.1.16, showing that the virus continues to mutate. This variant, in particular, is 1.2 times more infectious than past COVID variants, with symptoms including pink-eye observed in some children.
What about Long COVID?
In past reports, COVID-19 has been found to attack the human respiratory system and the vascular system responsible for circulating blood around your body and the brain, as scientists have found that this virus might result in brain shrinkage and strokes. Unfortunately, patients with more severe COVID cases are at higher risk of these outcomes since they result from older age (65+) or weakened immune systems due to autoimmune diseases. Healthy folks are also at risk of these health outcomes, but they might have a lower chance, not to mention long-COVID, which includes brain fog and fatigue.
As BHC Talked About: Self-love and Community Care!
While we would love to celebrate with our friends and loved ones, the question circles back to the community. Are we willing to expose ourselves and our community to this virus, including our 1.1 million older adults in NYC? Can we also think of those with disabilities? And are we ready to own up to the consequences if we become disabled due to COVID-19?
Caring for ourselves and others' well-being is crucial for thriving communities. While there is relief in the decreasing numbers of hospitalizations, we should still be wary of wearings masks, social distancing, especially in highly populated public/closed-in areas, and being up-to-date with vaccinations!
Harvard Health Publishing. (2023, March 1). Does COVID-19 damage the brain? Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/does-covid-19-damage-the-brain#:~:text=We%20now%20know%20that%2C%20unfortunately,difficulty%20concentrating%2C%20and%20memory%20problems.
NPR. (2023, May 7). What To Know About The Newest COVID-19 Variant. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/2023/05/07/1174631522/what-to-know-about-the-newest-covid-19-variant
NYC Health. (2019). Older Adult Health in New York City. Retrieved from https://www.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/episrv/2019-older-adult-health.pdf
Science. (2023, May 5). WHO ends pandemic emergency as COVID-19 deaths fall. Retrieved from https://www.science.org/content/article/who-ends-pandemic-emergency-covid-19-deaths-fall
UCHealth. (2022, October 24). Autoimmune Disease and COVID-19: A Complex Relationship. Retrieved from https://www.uchealth.org/today/autoimmune-disease-and-covid-19-a-complex-relationship/
WebMD. (2022, May 5). Autoimmune Diseases. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/autoimmune-diseases
Yale Medicine. (2023, April 21). Should You Get a COVID-19 Bivalent Booster? Retrieved from https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/should-you-get-a-covid-19-bivalent-booster
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