The United States skilled its second largest COVID wave of the pandemic in January 2024. For the 12 months to December 2023, in England COVID charges peaked at round one in 24 folks. Throughout the identical month, Singapore additionally skilled report COVID instances and a spike in hospitalisations.
COVID, then, remains to be a significant public well being drawback, accounting for 10,000 deaths in 50 nations and a 42% enhance in hospitalisations throughout December 2023 alone.
COVID might not be a worldwide well being emergency for the time being, however it’s nonetheless killing and harming far too many individuals worldwide.
But, judging by the dearth of media protection and social media consideration, a minimum of in comparison with earlier within the pandemic, you could be forgiven for pondering that COVID is not a giant deal.
However performing as if COVID does not exist or is not an issue is a harmful scenario.
COVID complacency, by governments, the media and the general public, is a menace to the general well being of the inhabitants, to well being providers and notably to these most weak, together with older adults and people with pre-existing well being circumstances.
Opposite to the favored misbelief, COVID isn’t getting milder. We’ve identified this for some time, however new analysis is beginning to counsel that Omicron variants could be evolving into extra extreme types.
One other frequent misapprehension is that when we have now had COVID, which most of us have by now, our immune system is all the higher for it.
Whereas an infection does lead the physique to provide antibodies, getting our antibodies from vaccines and boosters is a safer choice, notably in gentle of rising proof that repeat COVID infections enhance the chance of lengthy COVID signs, hospitalisation and loss of life.
Additionally, excessive COVID charges add stress to already strained well being techniques. COVID, together with flu and different respiratory viruses are enjoying their half within the healthcare disaster being skilled within the UK and plenty of EU nations, for instance – and lengthy COVID is chargeable for substantial monetary burden on well being providers.
It is maybe comprehensible why many individuals are much less occupied with COVID today. It has been an extended 4 years.
In my analysis with colleagues on public attitudes to COVID, we discovered as early as winter 2020 that folks have been getting fatigued by COVID information and data. However elevating consciousness of the continuing dangers posed by COVID stays as necessary as ever.
Methods to battle COVID complacency
First, we have to guarantee vaccine uptake is as excessive as attainable. In the UK, like many nations, booster uptake amongst these eligible this 12 months has been considerably decrease in comparison with final 12 months, and fewer inhabitants teams have been supplied the vaccine. In future campaigns, boosters must be supplied extra broadly.
However broadening vaccine entry is just one a part of the puzzle – for instance within the US, the place new boosters can be found to everybody, solely two-in-ten have taken the provide up, together with solely four-in-ten of these aged over 65.
One of many most typical causes for not getting boosted is the misunderstanding that when an individual has been contaminated there isn’t any level in getting vaccinated. Vaccine campaigns must be accompanied by proactive, seen and clear public well being messaging to tell the general public that boosters can nonetheless assist to scale back the chance of sickness, hospitalisation, and defend towards newer COVID variants corresponding to JN.1, which was named by the World Well being Group (WHO) on December 19 2023 as a “variant of curiosity” and could also be extra infectious than different variants.
Second, we are able to nonetheless make use of protections that work. For instance, elementary funding in higher air flow is way wanted. Cleaner air is important for public well being and can have advantages that prolong past COVID.
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Good air flow cannot solely cut back the unfold of COVID and different respiratory viruses, however can usually assist cut back indoor air air pollution, and might even enhance issues corresponding to faculty attendance and focus within the classroom.
Spain, for instance, has simply reintroduced face masks guidelines in hospitals and different healthcare settings. Present proof means that masks do work to assist cut back the transmission of COVID. Masks have been controversial, however could be considered like umbrellas – we are able to use them as, when and the place wanted.
Different nations would additionally do nicely to observe WHO recommendation and reintroduce face masks regulation in medical settings, to scale back hospital acquired infections, defend weak sufferers and cut back illness and absenteeism amongst healthcare employees.
We will nonetheless reside with COVID and on the identical time respect, and attempt to cut back, the hurt it may possibly trigger.
Simon Nicholas Williams, Lecturer in Psychology, Swansea College
