Dr. Hans Kluge, Regional Director of the World Health Organization for Europe, expressed optimism that the pandemic’s emergency phase will conclude in 2022.

He hinted that Europe might be about to enter a new phase of the pandemic with a realistic chance of stabilization, but he also warned against letting your guard down just yet.

As the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Central Asia enters its second year, a new phase is beginning, driven by the highly transmissible Omicron form that is spreading from west to east throughout the Region.

“Omicron is pushing Delta aside at a rate never seen before. In the European Region, it currently accounts for 31.8% of cases, up from 15% the week before and 6.3% the week before, less than two months after it was initially identified in South Africa.

Although the pandemic is far from ended, I hope that in 2022 we can put an end to the emergency phase and focus on other pressing health issues.

According to Kluge, “the Region has seen an increase in backlogs and waiting lists, disruptions to essential health services, and a halting of plans and preparations for health-related stressors and shocks related to climate change.”

Despite the fact that Omicron seems to cause a far less severe disease than Delta, the senior WHO official for Europe stated that the sheer quantity of infections is causing a quick surge in hospitalizations.

“This is on top of the high frequency of incidental admissions and a Delta load that has not yet fully been fulfilled.

However, that did not come without the unacceptably high human cost: since the pandemic’s start, 99 persons in the Region have died from COVID-19.

“We grieve for the more than 1.7 million individuals who have passed away in the European Region. More than 4 million people in the Region are currently living below the US$ 5.50 per day poverty threshold, reversing previous gains in the decrease of poverty. Education and mental health for children have suffered greatly.

Hundreds of thousands of lives have been saved by the creation and distribution of safe and effective vaccines, which have been administered in the European Region to the tune of over 1.4 billion doses. More than ten authorized vaccines are now being put out as a result of enormous advancements in medical science and international cooperation. This is one of the greatest scientific discoveries in decades.

“We must pay a historical tribute to our health workers, who have borne the brunt of this crisis and continue to put themselves in harm’s way in the service of their patients. We cannot claim that they have survived: studies reveal that up to 43% of frontline healthcare providers are significantly anxious, and a sizable fraction of clinical personnel in intensive care units now meets the clinical criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Building better must start with providing for them and their mental health. They help us acknowledge the sacrifices that nearly all of us have made, even while we are aware that these sacrifices have been considerably greater for those who are already marginalized in society.

“Our work is not done, even though Omicron presents a believable prospect for stabilization and normalization. There are still significant gaps in vaccination access. In the European Region and beyond, 2022 has to be the year of vaccination equality if 2021 was the year of vaccine production. Too many individuals who should be immunized do not receive the shot.

He stated, “This is contributing to the spread of the virus, extending its duration, and raising the possibility of novel variations.”

Like previous pandemics before it, COVID-19 will eventually terminate, he continued, but it is still much too early to start taking it easy.

As a result of declining immunity, the current and upcoming global pandemic, and the seasonality of winter, it is highly likely that novel COVID-19 variants may surface and reappear.

“I believe that a new wave could no longer require the return to pandemic-era, population-wide lockdowns or similar measures,” he said. “But with strong surveillance and monitoring of new variants, high vaccination uptake and third doses, ventilation, affordable equitable access to antivirals, targeted testing and shielding high-risk groups with high-quality masks and physical distancing if and when a new variant appears.”