Michael Baker’s Post

For four years now, either as a physical virus or as a looming threat, the COVID-causing pathogen SARS-CoV-2 has been the elephant in every room—sometimes confronted and sometimes ignored but always present. While once we dreamed of eradicating COVID, now much of society has resigned itself to SARS-CoV-2’s constant presence—a surrender that would once have been unthinkable. Worldwide, there were more than 11,000 reported deaths from COVID between mid-December 2023 and mid-January 2024, and more than half of those deaths occurred in the U.S. In that same time frame, nearly one million cases were reported to the World Health Organization globally (although reduced testing and reporting means this is likely a vast undercount). In particular, epidemiologists are monitoring the newest variant of SARS-CoV-2, JN.1, and looking for any signs that it may be more severe than previous strains. Although the WHO declared an end to the COVID public health emergency in May 2023, the organization has emphasized that the pandemic isn’t over—it’s just entered an endemic phase, which means that the virus will continue to circulate indefinitely. Throughout the past four years, Maria Van Kerkhove, now interim director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, has helped lead the agency’s response to COVID. Scientific American spoke with Van Kerkhove about entering the fifth year of a pandemic that many want to ignore despite its permanent impact on lives around the world. [An edited transcript of the interview follows.] How would you describe the overall state of COVID at this point in the pandemic? COVID’s not in the news every day, but it’s still a global health risk. If we look at wastewater estimates, the actual circulation [of SARS-CoV-2] is somewhere between two and 20 times higher than what’s actually being reported by countries. The virus is rampant. We’re still in a pandemic. There’s a lot of complacency at the individual level, and more concerning to me is that at the government level. Lack of access to lifesaving tools such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines is still a problem. Demand for vaccination is very low around the world. The misinformation and disinformation that’s out there is hampering the ability to mount an effective response. So we feel there’s a lot more work to do, in the context of everything else—[we no longer have a] COVID lens only, of course, but using masks for respiratory pathogens that transmit through the air is a no-brainer—plus vaccination, plus distancing, plus improving ventilation. People are living their life; we’re not trying to stop anyone from doing anything, but we’re trying to work with governments to make sure they do that as safely as possible. We don’t know everything about this virus. Even in year five, there’s still a lot of research that needs to be done. https://lnkd.in/dNxVhe26

🌐 COVID-19: Unveiling the Pandemic's Origins and Progress Reflecting on the origins of the novel coronavirus, which emerged in late 2019 in China's Hubei province, and drawing parallels to the SARS outbreak in 2002, it's evident that both viruses shared common modes of transmission, primarily through coughing and sneezing. In February 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses and the World Health Organization officially named the virus SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes COVID-19. This nomenclature, derived from "corona," "virus," and "disease," encapsulates its nature, with "19" denoting the year of its emergence. Fast forward to March 20, 2023, and the global vaccination efforts have made significant strides. 🌍 WHO Reports on Recent COVID-19 Trends: Insights and Concerns According to the World Health Organization's latest update spanning July 31 to August 27, 2023, over 1.4 million new COVID-19 cases were recorded globally, marking a 38% increase compared to the previous 28 days. However, there's a notable decrease of 50% in reported deaths during this period. Globally, the cumulative count stands at over 770 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million deaths as of August 27, 2023. While certain WHO regions witnessed an uptick in cases, others observed declines. Similarly, decreases in deaths were reported in three regions, but the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions noted an increase in mortality rates. It's crucial to note that the figures provided might not accurately mirror infection rates due to reduced testing and reporting globally. Within this 28-day span, 39% of countries reported at least one case to the WHO, marking a declining trend since mid-2022. These statistics underscore the evolving nature of the pandemic and the importance of sustained vigilance and collaborative efforts on a global scale. 📢 Latest CDC Guidelines: Fall 2023 COVID Recommendations In a recent update on September 12, the CDC has advised that individuals aged 6 months and older should consider getting vaccinated against COVID-19 for the fall season. Should you test positive for COVID-19, it's crucial to take immediate action: stay home and isolate yourself from others within your household for a minimum of 5 days. During this period, you are likely to be most contagious. When around others within your home, wearing a high-quality mask is recommended. Additionally, if you need to be around others indoors or in public spaces, continue wearing a high-quality mask for a full 10 days. These guidelines emphasize proactive measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 and safeguard both personal and community health. 🌟 Continued Access to COVID-19 Therapeutics Efficient access to critical treatments like Paxlovid and Lagevrio will remain accessible through various healthcare providers and retail pharmacies.#COVID19Therapeutics #Paxlovid #Lagevrio #HealthcareAccess#fortis#medanta#apollo

For four years now, either as a physical virus or as a looming threat, the COVID-causing pathogen SARS-CoV-2 has been the elephant in every room—sometimes confronted and sometimes ignored but always present. While once we dreamed of eradicating COVID, now much of society has resigned itself to SARS-CoV-2’s constant presence—a surrender that would once have been unthinkable. Worldwide, there were more than 11,000 reported deaths from COVID between mid-December 2023 and mid-January 2024, and more than half of those deaths occurred in the U.S. In that same time frame, nearly one million cases were reported to the World Health Organization globally (although reduced testing and reporting means this is likely a vast undercount). In particular, epidemiologists are monitoring the newest variant of SARS-CoV-2, JN.1, and looking for any signs that it may be more severe than previous strains. Although the WHO declared an end to the COVID public health emergency in May 2023, the organization has emphasized that the pandemic isn’t over—it’s just entered an endemic phase, which means that the virus will continue to circulate indefinitely. Throughout the past four years, Maria Van Kerkhove, now interim director of the WHO’s Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness and Prevention, has helped lead the agency’s response to COVID. Scientific American spoke with Van Kerkhove about entering the fifth year of a pandemic that many want to ignore despite its permanent impact on lives around the world. [An edited transcript of the interview follows.] How would you describe the overall state of COVID at this point in the pandemic? COVID’s not in the news every day, but it’s still a global health risk. If we look at wastewater estimates, the actual circulation [of SARS-CoV-2] is somewhere between two and 20 times higher than what’s actually being reported by countries. The virus is rampant. We’re still in a pandemic. There’s a lot of complacency at the individual level, and more concerning to me is that at the government level. Lack of access to lifesaving tools such as diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines is still a problem. Demand for vaccination is very low around the world. The misinformation and disinformation that’s out there is hampering the ability to mount an effective response. So we feel there’s a lot more work to do, in the context of everything else—[we no longer have a] COVID lens only, of course, but using masks for respiratory pathogens that transmit through the air is a no-brainer—plus vaccination, plus distancing, plus improving ventilation. People are living their life; we’re not trying to stop anyone from doing anything, but we’re trying to work with governments to make sure they do that as safely as possible. We don’t know everything about this virus. Even in year five, there’s still a lot of research that needs to be done. https://lnkd.in/gVpt2_6m

Excellent article from Dr. Tom Frieden was director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2017, where he oversaw responses to the H1N1 influenza, Ebola and Zika epidemics. He is president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Covid-19 hasn’t gone away, and it won’t any time soon. It’s now part of the landscape of health threats. Although the coronavirus continues to kill and cause lasting damage, our immunity, vaccines and treatments have tamed the pandemic. Doctor or nurse giving shot or vaccine to a patient's,Vaccination and prevention against coronavirus pandemic,Vaccination of the population against diseases concept. Health misinformation and lack of confidence in vaccines continue to grow, years after the Covid-19 pandemic, survey shows Long Covid affects many people, and, analogously, increased polarization and distrust is a lingering life-threatening after-effect of the pandemic.

Dr. Tom Frieden: Covid-19 is still around, and so are these misconceptions. Director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2009 to 2017, where he oversaw responses to the H1N1 influenza, Ebola and Zika epidemics. He is president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Covid-19 hasn’t gone away, and it won’t any time soon. It’s now part of the landscape of health threats. Although the coronavirus continues to kill and cause lasting damage, our immunity, vaccines and treatments have tamed the pandemic. Long Covid affects many people, and, analogously, increased polarization and distrust is a lingering life-threatening after-effect of the pandemic. The virus that causes Covid emerged at the end of 2019. We continue to learn more about it every day. The virus, and our immune response to it, continue to evolve, as do our knowledge and understanding. Everyone made mistakes. Guidance was adjusted and revised as we learned more. But public health action saved millions of lives. Three widely held misconceptions reflect and contribute to polarization. For each, there’s a kernel of truth that appears to support the misconception, but the reality is clear. Larry Cole - I like so many others tend to pay close attention when Doc Frieden writes about the pandemic, covid and science. Click on image below to access the entire article.