2021 turned out to be another “unforgettable” year of lockdowns, restrictions, and travel bans. Just like 2020.
We are still in a global pandemic almost 2 years – 21 months to be exact – after World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic on 11 Mar 2020. We are so disappointed the global pandemic was not over in 2021. So disappointed.
So many of us have suffered lockdown fatigue after waves and waves of infections.
Vaccine Rollout for the World
When the UK administered the first COVID-19 vaccine to the mass public in December 2020. There were cheers all around the world. Never before did we roll out a vaccine in such a short time. Not just that. There are so many vaccines available around the world, like vaccines created by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, Sinovac, and Bharat Biotech.
We thought these COVID-19 vaccines would end the global pandemic in 2021. It turned out not to be.
Vaccinating billions of people around the world is a humongous task, even in the most developed nations. Not only do we have to deal with vaccine production and supply chain issues, but we also need to overcome vaccine hesitancy and fight vaccine misinformation that is working against many nations’ vaccination programs.
By December 2021, while many developed nations have reached very high vaccination rates, many developing nations are still at very low vaccination rates. This is clearly shown in Figure 1. Check out the WHO Global Vaccination Dashboard for the most recent report.
There are still many obstacles to overcome to vaccinate the world’s population.
However, with the hope and optimism that we have learned from vaccine rollout in the last 12 months, the pace of vaccination would pick up around the world going forward, especially in developing nations. As well, many nations have started vaccine booster doses.
Humanity Continues to Gain Ground Against COVID-19
COVID-19 virus has been a formidable enemy of humanity. Its variants have continued to throw curveballs at the world, creating waves and waves of infections. The latest is the Omicron variant, first reported in November 2021 in South Africa.
Unpredictability and uncertainty bring anxiety.
Scientists around the world are intensively studying this Omicron variant to provide answers to whether the variant leads to higher hospitalisation and mortality rates, and whether the current vaccines and treatments will be less effective.
Thankfully, the early assessment and the consensus of the medical experts are that the Omicron variant does not appear to cause serious illness among those infected, that the existing vaccines are still effective with possibly reduced efficacy, and that booster jabs will improve protection against the Omicron Variant. Moderna has indicated that they could modify their vaccine within months to specifically target the Omicron variant.
More progress on flighting COVID-19.
For those vulnerable who are infected and at risk of being seriously sick, there are antiviral drugs such as Pfizer’s Paxlovid and Merck’s Molnupiravir stand ready to help them reduce the risk of hospitalisation and death.
For those who do not generate an adequate immune response to vaccination, AstraZeneca’s Evusheld, the first COVID-19 antibody therapy, will start commercial use very soon.
As well, there are jab-free oral and nasal vaccines that are at various stages of trials. We hope they will be in commercial use soon too.
Return to Normality
Nations around the world chose their paths to return to normality very differently. Every nation needs to learn to live with the COVID-19 virus one way or another. It is the reality today.
Some nations chose to come out early of lockdowns, ease restrictions, allow domestic travel and some restricted international travel, and open up at relatively low vaccination levels.
Some chose to keep their international borders closed, restrict domestic travels, and try to eradicate the virus with lockdowns and restrictions until they reach very high vaccination levels.
Most nations chose a middle path. They did so to achieve a balance between saving lives and livelihoods that is unique to their local economic, social, and community situations as well as to avoid severe impact on their health system.
We heard so much about quarantine travels. No one wants to quarantine for 14 days when they travel internationally unless for essential and urgent matters. Most nations have kept their international borders closed for most of the last 21 months. Other than citizens returning to home countries, international travels have predominantly stopped in the last 21 months. Airlines and travel business operators were severely affected.
However, by the fourth quarter of 2021, many nations have started to cautiously open up their international borders. The so-called Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) which allows quarantine-free international travel was welcomed by airlines and travel business operators.
As a result of quarantine-free travels, touching stories of family reunions were reported. Heart-warming images of hugging and kissing at airports appeared on TVs, social media, and newspapers.
Will the incentive of quarantine-free international travel help to speed up vaccination?
Will the reduced COVID-19 infection cases in those nations with high vaccination levels help to convince more to vaccinate, hence speeding up vaccination?
You would think the facts and the reality will eventually win over those who are hesitating to get vaccinated.
End of Pandemic in 2022?
When will WHO declare the global pandemic to be over? It has to be when the severity of COVID-19 infections is similar to that of seasonal flu, which has a commonly quoted mortality rate in the range of 0.1%.
Based on the most recent reported global infection cases and deaths, COVID-19 infections still have a mortality rate of well above 1%. We have to bring down the global mortality rate from 1% to 0.1%. It is a big gap.
Vaccination is our best defence against COVID-19 infection. We have to increase vaccination rates globally, especially among the poorer nations. No one in the world is safe until everyone is safe. Rich nations need to do more to donate excess vaccines to the poorer nations. Covax scheme plays a critical role in the global vaccination program.
The recently rolled-out COVID-19 oral treatment drugs need to be made readily available for those vulnerable who are infected to avoid serious illness.
Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist, and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said in November 2021 that COVID-19 would likely kill no more people than the flu by the middle of 2022 because of natural immunity, vaccine immunity, and new oral treatments. We hope he is right.
Humanity will win this war against COVID-19, against all the odds. The collective wisdom of humanity will out-smart and defeat COVID-19.
Yes, we should all be optimistic that WHO would declare the global pandemic to be over by June 2022. Yes, June 2022.
World Healthcare Worker Day?
We must never forget our healthcare workers when the pandemic is over.
What not mark the day WHO declares the global pandemic to be over to be the “World Healthcare Worker Day”?
This is a great way to pay tribute to all our healthcare and frontline workers for their dedication and contributions to human health during this once-in-a-century pandemic.
Marking this special day will remind all of us to never forget to always prepare well for the next pandemic
Goodbye, 2021.
We look forward to 2022 – the year the world will return to normality and we will regain our freedom!
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