WHO declares end to global COVID public health emergency

The global health emergency decreed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a consequence of the pandemic by COVID-1 has come to an end, as declared Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of this organization. On May 4, the Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) to assess whether COVID-19 could continue to be considered a Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and its recommendation has been to end the emergency that was declared on January 30, 2020.

“It is with great hope that I declare that covid-19 has ended as a global health emergency. However, that does not mean that covid-19 has ceased to be a threat to global health. Last week, a life was claimed every three minutes and that’s just the deaths we know of,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference.

This expert has warned that you should not “let your guard down” because “this virus is here to stay. It’s still killing, and it’s still changing. The risk of new variants emerging causing further surges in cases and deaths remains.” And he has pointed out that “what this news means is that it is time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing COVID-19 along with other infectious diseases.”

“This does not mean that the SARS-Cov2 virus or the disease is over. In certain circumstances, precautionary measures must continue to be maintained to prevent its transmission.

Oscar ZurriagaEpidemiologist, researcher at the Department of Preventive Medicine, Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology and Legal Medicine, University of Valencia and president of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology, has declared to SMC Spain: “The current situation of covid-19 , both in Spain and in other countries, means that the lifting of the declaration of PHEIC by the WHO Emergency Committee should not affect the actions and policies that are currently being carried out in the different countries”.

“Now, this does not mean that the SARS-Cov2 virus or the disease has ended. For this reason, it is convenient to communicate to the public that the disease is still present and that, in certain circumstances (for example, when you have symptoms or when you are in contact with especially vulnerable people), precautionary measures must continue to be maintained to prevent its transmission. especially vulnerable people.

“The acute respiratory infection surveillance system (SIVIRA) currently in place in Spain will continue to monitor the situation of this virus and the disease it causes, as it does with other respiratory viruses.” “In summary: it is not a problem that the PHEIC declaration is removed, but that this does not contribute to conveying the impression that the disease caused by this virus no longer exists.”