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The WHO has officially declared the COVID-19 health emergency over, as the threat posed by the virus has significantly decreased in recent months. Additionally, the WHO is releasing new figures: At least 20 million deaths worldwide are attributable to the virus, far more than previous estimates suggested.

The decision to lift the emergency status is based on the decline in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations, the high vaccination rate, and the reduced severity of the currently circulating Omicron variants. Recommendations for the long-term management of the pandemic have been proposed, and the Director-General will convene a committee to review the existing guidelines for managing SARS-CoV-2.

Even though the virus is less threatening today, we should not forget how challenging the situation was at the beginning of the pandemic. Therefore, I would like to share my perspective on how I experienced the course of the pandemic.

A Retrospective from the Beginning of the Pandemic until Today

In January 2020, I was sent a YouTube video showing the outbreak of a novel SARS virus in China. Although the video contained many inconsistencies and misinformation, it caught my attention and I began to follow the topic. I focused on the most important news and scientific studies and summarized them in a comprehensive article. Here: COVID-19 and here: The Pandemic: A Timeline and Scientific Studies

Despite reports of the novel disease as early as December 2019, the situation received limited media attention initially and was not perceived as a serious threat. But as reports of the lung disease increased, it became clear that this time a bigger thing could be coming our way.

The first COVID-19 cases in Austria were confirmed at the end of February, and it quickly became clear that the virus would not disappear so quickly.

By March 2020, we were already feeling the effects of the rapidly spreading disease, as infrastructure was shut down and some products were no longer available due to the increasing demand.

I still remember the empty shelves in the stores and the palpable panic that prevailed among people. It was an absolutely surreal situation, but we were lucky to have already had a basic supply of durable food at home, which kept us well supplied during this time. It was amazing how quickly the situation changed and how people prepared for the impending crisis.

The WHO officially declared the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12, 2020, and many businesses such as hair salons, hardware stores and gyms were closed. However, some companies remained open and people still had to go to work.

During this time, there were also positive examples of responsible companies like my employer, who gave their employees several weeks of paid leave. Such a gesture was not a matter of course and helped many people to cope during this difficult time.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented all of us with significant challenges. But we should also pay attention to the positive aspects and examples of solidarity and responsibility that were found during this time.

In the first weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown, everyone I knew complied with the rules, and I too left the house only briefly to walk my dog or to do shopping for us and our elderly neighbors who were considered at risk. However, as the infection curve later decreased and people came closer together, but still with a distance of a baby elephant - the unit of measurement used in Austria to estimate the distance - the first conspiracy theories and misinterpretations of data began to circulate.

While new scientific insights into the virus were being published daily and we were learning more and more about it, it quickly became clear that COVID-19 is not a classic lung disease but a multi-organ disease that can affect many areas of the body. It is regrettable that many people in my environment trusted scientific knowledge less and tended to believe conspiracy theories instead. Therefore, the topic of COVID-19 became a double-edged sword for me. Although it fascinated and interested me, I talked less and less about it publicly to avoid discussions with people who were not willing to acknowledge the facts. Instead, I limited my conversations to individuals with whom I could have an informed and productive discussion.

Weeks and months passed, and the numbers of daily new infections rose and fell depending on the measures taken. Many people in my environment became infected, some were asymptomatic, while others suffered from severe symptoms for weeks. I still remember well how our two older neighbors, who were old but still very fit and vital, both became ill with COVID-19 at the same time and died. Over time, other people around me who were younger than my neighbors at the time also died from COVID-19. It's tragic when you consider that many of these people could have lived much longer if they hadn't contracted the disease. In these moments, I realize how important it is to continue to be aware of the dangers of the pandemic.

Only when we consciously remember the challenges and dangers of the past do we realize how important it is to continue to act cautiously and responsibly.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has always been only one primary goal: to persevere and not become infected until there is a cure. In December 2020, it finally happened. The first vaccines against COVID-19 were approved and the first vaccination campaigns started. This was a success for science and research one year after the outbreak of the pandemic.

I immediately put myself on the waiting lists of several doctors' offices. Now it was a matter of enduring a few more months, getting vaccinated, and with a high vaccination rate, the pandemic could soon be over.

But unfortunately, this was not the case, as the first major COVID-19 mutations were on the march. It was a race against time. In countries with low vaccination rates, new virus variants continued to emerge that could better resist vaccination. Vaccination remained useful and effective against severe courses, long COVID, and disease symptoms, but the chance of herd immunity through vaccination and recovered individuals was significantly hampered.

On April 27th, 2021, I had the opportunity to get vaccinated against COVID-19 for the first time. Although I was only 29 years old at the time and not yet eligible, I was able to get the opportunity earlier by putting myself on several waiting lists. A few weeks and months later, further vaccinations followed to complete the basic immunization and a booster shot.

In the following months, some rules for public life were adjusted in Austria, including the debate about a possible vaccination requirement. The 3-G rule (in german: geimpft, genesen, getestet | in english: vaccinated, recovered, tested) was introduced to enable access to certain shops. Since I was already fully vaccinated, this was not a major restriction for me. However, I continued to stay up to date on scientific insights into COVID-19, its variants, and the efficacy of vaccines, as well as statistical analyses from different countries.

Although most viruses lose their lethality when they mutate, this was not always the case with COVID-19. Some variants, such as Alpha and Delta, were particularly concerning due to their higher mortality rate.

The Omicron variant, discovered in November 2021, is so far the most mutated form of the coronavirus. But although it could best escape vaccine immunity, the vaccine is still highly effective against severe cases and long-COVID symptoms. Nevertheless, Omicron has rendered the theory of herd immunity meaningless. The only advantage of the Omicron variant is its lower lethality compared to its dominant predecessors Alpha and Delta. However, it is by no means harmless, and many people also experience severe illness with Omicron, especially if they are not vaccinated. Through vaccinations and surviving infections, it appears that Omicron generally runs milder.

Throughout 2022, COVID-19 was gradually pushed out of the spotlight and, like seasonal flu, developed into an annual illness. COVID-19 booster vaccinations were adjusted to the currently prevailing variants, and there are hardly any measures to contain the virus anymore. In 2023, COVID-19 now appears like a fading memory, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has officially declared the end of the public health emergency related to COVID-19.

COVID-19 is increasingly transitioning to an endemic state and will occur seasonally, sometimes stronger and sometimes weaker. The past years have been turbulent, and it is important to remember that. That's why I wanted to share with you feelings, experiences and situations that we have experienced during this time.

Closing Words

Whatever the situation around COVID-19 develops into, it is important to continue to pay attention to our health and the health of others: Wash your hands regularly, keep your distance from sick people, stay home when you are sick, and cough into your elbow. Above all, get vaccinated. This simple measure can save lives and help us better prepare for similar challenges in the future.