Five years after the start of the Sars-CoV2 pandemic, Covid is no longer at the center of a global storm, without being completely ancient history, because it still causes infections – sometimes persistent – and deaths.
More than five years after its appearance in China, the virus causing Covid-19 has officially reached some 777 million people and caused more than seven million deaths – many more in reality -, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
But, over time and waves, the impact of the respiratory infection on deaths and hospitalizations has greatly diminished, thanks to the immunity acquired by populations through vaccination and/or infections.
The virus seems to be becoming endemic
Covid is still killing (more than 3,000 deaths from October to November 2024 in 27 countries, according to the WHO), but the overwhelming majority of deaths were recorded between 2020 and 2022.
The pandemic has been over since spring 2023 and the WHO lifted the maximum alert level.
The virus has not, so far, had a specific season but seems to be gradually becoming endemic, with regular resurgences, a bit like the flu, according to various experts.
But “the world wants to forget this pathogen that is still with us, people want to put Covid in the past – and in many ways, pretend it never happened – because it has been so traumatic”, observed Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, head of epidemic and pandemic preparedness at the WHO, in mid-December.
The Omicron era has been going on since autumn 2021: one sub-variant replaces another, without being any more severe.
However, some scientists believe that the scenario of new variants that are more virulent or escape immunity should not be entirely ruled out. In any case, Sars-CoV2 will remain among humans.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000More than 13.6 billion doses distributed
Crucial against the pandemic, vaccination has been massive since the extraordinarily rapid development of serums.
More than 13.6 billion doses have been administered worldwide, with very unequal access between poor and rich countries.
Vaccines adapted to Omicron – in its JN.1 version – are currently still recommended, especially for the most vulnerable, because they still protect against severe forms and the risk of long Covid.
But vaccination coverage is insufficient, especially among seniors and caregivers, the WHO warned.
The quest for vaccines that act longer and more powerfully against infection and transmission continues, as does that for new methods of administration (nasal, oral, cutaneous).
On the treatment side, the pharmacy has been reduced since Omicron: a few direct antivirals and a monoclonal antibody.
Certain innovations brought about or accelerated by the pandemic, particularly RNA vaccines messenger, remain a source of hope for other pathologies, such as cancer.
What about long Covid ?
Fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, intermittent fever, loss of taste or smell, difficulty concentrating, depression… “Long Covid” manifests itself with one or more symptoms, generally within three months after infection, persisting for at least two months and not explained by any other diagnosis.
Around 6% of people infected with Covid experience this complex syndrome, the WHO said at the end of December, noting that it remains “a significant burden on health systems”.
Women and people with pre-existing health problems are more affected. And reinfections seem to increase the risks.
Scientists have made progress but have not fully elucidated its mechanisms, following several leads: persistence of Sars-CoV-2 in the body, maintenance of an inflammatory state post-infection, formation of microclots…
Should we fear the next pandemics ?
Covid-19 is not the last pandemic, scientists are certain of it. The question is when the next one will come, and whether the world will be better prepared.
About 60% to 70% of emerging diseases are zoonoses, resulting from pathogens transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans—they are multiplying because of deforestation, which increases contact with wildlife, a reservoir of unknown viruses.
Avian flu is under scrutiny, especially since the first human death in the United States on Monday. The patient was an elderly patient with other illnesses who had been infected by backyard and wild birds.
For more than two years, WHO member countries negotiating an agreement to prevent pandemics have been floundering. The memory of Covid's damage is fading, governments are changing, and a deadlock persists between rich and poor countries.
The Covid era has also durably increased vaccine distrust and misinformation. Re-elected US President Donald Trump wants to appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, as Secretary of Health.