COVID-19 Pandemic is “Over”: US President

US President Joe Biden said in an interview that the COVID-19 pandemic is “over,” but there are still challenges to address the issues that the disease caused. “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem with COVID-19. We are still doing a lotta work on it... But the pandemic is over,” he told CBS. US health officials had previously stated that that the pandemic is not over.

During an interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” on Aug. 18, 2022, Biden said “If you notice, no one is wearing masks. Everybody seems to be in pretty good shape. And so, I think it is changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it.” These comments arrive two years after the World Health Organization (WHO) labeled COVID-19 an epidemic global outbreak.

Tourism in the US is back to pre-COVID-19 levels, as local restrictions have been mostly eliminated inside the country. However, the disease is still producing serious issues in the country, with about 400 daily deaths, leading health officials to keep voicing their concerns. 

“The pandemic is not over. And we will remain vigilant, and of course, we continue to look for and prepare for unforeseen twists and turns,” said Anhish Jha, White House COVID-19 Official, on Sep. 6, 2022. 

Mexico is currently facing the COVID-19 fifth wave. On Sep. 18, 2022, the Minister of Health reported 809 new cases and two deaths caused by the disease, at the moment the country officially reports more than 7 million accumulated cases, while deaths have reached 329,898. 

The country is focusing on immunizing children between five and 11 years old. As of Sep. 9, 2022, over 46 percent of children in that group had been vaccinated, according to the Minister of Health, as reported by MBN. The government recently acquired more doses to fully immunize 3 million children. “We have already signed a contract with the Cuban government and its biotechnology company to buy 9 million doses of the Abdala vaccine,” said Hugo López-Gatell, Deputy Minister of Health. 

The COVID-19 pandemic changed lives and lifestyles around the world, with the health sector being one of the most transformed industries. “A few years ago, patients would not have trusted having a medical checkup through a phone call or a videoconference. Now, people increasingly prefer it as a first option and, if needed, have an offline follow-up. This does not mean technology will replace personal medical care. But we, as humans and professionals, always tend to make our work more efficient with the appropriate tools, platforms and up-to-date knowledge,” as Fernando Lledó, General Manager, Bupa Mexico wrote for MBN.