With cases dropping but hospitalizations still at a record high, public health experts believe that it is time to change our approach to COVID-19. Shifting the mindset from COVID-19 being a pandemic to an endemic could change the course of how we deal with this virus going forward. Experts are cautiously optimistic that COVID is here to stay, however, it will be manageable, unlike 2020.

In a briefing hosted by Ethnic Media Services, health experts share their perspectives on whether we should treat COVID-19 like an endemic or a pandemic.

(L-r) Dr. Ben Neuman, Chief Virologist at the Global Health Research Complex, Texas A&M University; Dr. Dali Fan, Health Science Clinical Professor, UC Davis

Speakers

  • Ben Neuman, Ph. D, Chief virologist at the Global Health Research Complex at Texas A&M University
  • Dali Fan, University of California, Davis Health Science Clinical Professor, and volunteer vaccinator at California Northstate University in Elk Grove, California

With varying perspectives, the roundtable discussion helps us understand why even experts are having difficulty on how we continue with our lives with an unpredictable virus, COVID-19.

Dr. Dali Fan believes that we will learn to live with the virus. He believes the virus will be like another flu and we will learn to deal with it like angina or cancer.

In contrast, Dr. Neuman believes that the deaths and hospitalizations caused by COVID are far more drastic when compared to the flu in the US. Neuman believes that we should exhaust every possible opportunity to relieve the world from COVID, once and for all.

In a report from CDC, the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna boosters have proven highly effective at preventing Omicron-related hospitalizations, and 90 percent effective at keeping people away from hospitalization. Dr. Dali Fan shares that this isn’t surprising considering how the original two doses become less protective after some time. The key takeaway from this news is to get vaccinated and get the booster shot!

On the topic of future booster shots after the current series, both experts agree that only time will tell. Some indications suggest more boosters are likely. Dr. Neuman explains that the additional doses raise cellular immunity and antibody immunity. This leads to stronger and broader protection. The vaccines have been our best tool for combatting viruses.

Touching on the current wave of infections, Dr. Dali Fan and Dr. Ben Neuman paint two very different scenarios. Looking at past patterns, Dr. Dali Fan believes that the Omicron variant was peaking at the time of this briefing, late January, and cases should start falling in early February. However, Dr. Neuman takes a more cautious approach and doubts that the number of cases being reported is equal to the actual number of people infected due to overwhelmed testing centers and limited testing.

So how about schools? Should we keep schools open?

Dr. Dali Fan believes that the schools should be open at this time. The current times call for a more balanced approach to combatting the virus. It is not just about the infectious virus, but mental health, social engagements currently outweigh the benefits of a shutdown.

As we look at this pandemic towards an endemic lens, both experts had varying perspectives on how we can return to our pre-pandemic lifestyle. Dr. Dali Fan alluded to severe illnesses like cancer and chronic angina. One can do everything they medically can to save the patient but at some point, one has to say enough is enough. The patient has a life to live and can’t be completely bogged down by constant health procedures or treatments. With COVID-19, Dr. Fan believes we will learn to live with it, no matter how brutal it can potentially be.

In contrast, Dr. Ben Neuman correlates the endemic narrative with giving up. He asserts that he is not done fighting COVID-19 until every possible opportunity to eradicate the virus has been exhausted. Dr. Neuman believes it is still possible and the reward of eradicating COVID-19 is peace of mind. Not having to worry about the deaths and hospitalizations of loved ones is a cause worth fighting for.

Essentially, the choice is ours: whether we want to eradicate COVID-19 once and for all or give up and classify it as another flu.