Srinagar: With the World Health Organization (WHO) lifting emergency status of Covid-19, Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) on Monday termed the declaration a big relief.
“This is very encouraging news that Covid-19 emergency is over,” said DAK President Dr Nisar ul Hassan.
WHO on Friday announced that Covid-19 no longer warranted the status of a global emergency, more than 3 years after it raised the disease to its highest alert level.
Dr Hassan said the decision recognizes the falling impact that covid has now on our lives. “We are no longer seeing major surges in infection, severe illness or death. This is because people have developed hybrid immunity from widespread infections and vaccinations,” he said. “The virus has settled now. Infections are less severe and hospitalizations are minuscule,” he said.
The DAK President said the end of Covid-19 as a global health emergency means that countries no longer need to implement public health measures like masking and social distancing.
“WHO decision makes a symbolic end to the pandemic which has had a profound impact on our lives over the last 3 years,” he said, adding that the pandemic has affected our health, our economy, our everyday activities and caused devastation through the loss of so many lives. “We have entered into the endemic stage of Covid-19,” said Dr Nisar.
“It is yet another infection joining many other diseases that humanity has learned to live,” he said. “With the transition from pandemic to endemic stage, Covid is going to stay with us, but will no longer be a disruptor of daily family and community life,” he added.