“COVID-19 is Here to Stay: What You Need to Know About the Endemic Disease”
U.S. health officials have officially declared COVID-19 as an endemic disease, indicating that it will continue to circulate regularly like the flu. This shift in classification has implications for how public health officials approach managing the virus, emphasizing the need for ongoing caution and vigilance, especially during surges such as the current one experienced this summer.
Despite COVID-19 becoming endemic, the risks associated with the virus remain significant, particularly for older individuals and those with underlying health conditions. Additionally, the potential for developing long COVID is a concern for anyone who contracts the virus. Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health and former COVID-19 response coordinator for President Biden, stresses the importance of taking proactive measures to protect oneself and others.
Jha warns against adopting a passive approach to living with COVID-19, stating that allowing the virus to spread unchecked would result in a high societal burden, unnecessary deaths among older Americans, and a yearly cycle of infections for the majority of the population. Instead, he advocates for continued efforts to improve prevention and control measures.
One key strategy for protecting against COVID-19 is to wear masks in crowded settings and around high-risk individuals. Additionally, staying up to date with vaccinations is crucial, with the FDA expected to approve an updated vaccine in the near future.
For more in-depth coverage of this topic, readers can explore science correspondent Rob Stein’s story on NPR’s website. Those interested in receiving regular health news updates can subscribe to NPR’s Short Wave newsletter by emailing [email protected].
To stay informed on the latest health news and developments, listeners can tune in to Short Wave on popular podcast platforms such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts. The episode discussed in this news post was produced by Rachel Carlson, edited by Rebecca Ramirez, and fact-checked by Rob Stein, with audio engineering by Robert Rodriguez.