The World Health Organization has downgraded the COVID-19 Pandemic saying it is no longer a global emergency. The news comes just one day after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced they are ending the public health emergency May 11.
Since the peak of the Omicron surge at the end of January 2022, new COVID Hospitalizations and deaths are down around 80%. However, the Medical Director for the Health Department of Northwest Michigan Dr. Joshua Meyerson says while things are looking much better, COVID is still a concern.
“I would not say that it’s gone away, and you don’t have to worry about it anymore, but from a public health standpoint we don’t have to deal with issues that would necessitate emergency action. It’s really something that’s part of our everyday life so to speak,” Dr. Meyerson admits.
Dr. Meyerson says things have gotten better because they simply know more now than they did before.
“Some of it is time. Certainly, when we stated we didn’t have effective medications, we didn’t have effective vaccines. There was a lot we didn’t know about the virus. Now, fast forwarding to today we have very safe and effective vaccines,” Dr. Meyerson explains.
Along with the new medicines and more effective vaccines and treatments, Dr. Meyerson also points out the public’s immunity from past vaccines and infections has grown stronger as the years have gone on.
And while health experts celebrate, one local business owner says they’re not out of the woods yet.
“It’s really been a rollercoaster,” says Steven Barnes, Co-Owner of Simply Delightful in Cadillac. “At first when everything was shut down it was very scary and unknown. Then as you start working through that, then we transition right into the inflationary problems which have been probably as big if not bigger of a challenge to navigate then COVID was.”
While businesses continue to struggle with inflationary issues brought on by the pandemic, the Health Department of Northwest Michigan says people should stay vigilant due to Northern Michigan’s older demographic and encourages everyone to be up to date with their COVID vaccine.