The beginning of the pandemic may feel difficult to imagine now. But while restrictions have eased and most aspects of normal life have returned, COVID-19 hasn’t gone away. Hundreds of deaths each week are still being linked to it – and while often not the direct cause, it’s important not to get complacent.
At the same time, for most people at least, it’s difficult to justify going to the same lengths of prevention as we saw at the virus’ peak. So where do we stand with COVID-19 at the beginning of 2023?
The risk of new variants
Unfortunately, as long as COVID-19 continues to spread through populations, there will always be a risk of new variants emerging due to mutations. In fact, new variants are detected regularly, though thankfully most come and go with little cause for further concern.
The risk of a more serious variant emerging grows when infections are high. It’s one reason behind international concern over soaring cases in China following the ending of its zero COVID-19 policy.
Has the pandemic affected our immune systems?
A reduction in mixing and an increase in the use of hand sanitiser and various personal protective clothing items led some to worry that our immune systems would weaken or even forget how to fight off other diseases. The good news is this isn’t how immunity works for adults and older children.
For younger children, it’s considered important to gain exposure to certain common microbes found in indoor and outdoor environments. This can be done through physical interactions, sports and other outdoor activities, all of which have resumed for the most part.
Recent rises in COVID-19
Most nations are still experiencing waves of COVID-19, to varying degrees. Infections have continued to fluctuate in the UK, for example, rising in the winter as expected after peaking in March 2022.
Hospital admissions have also fluctuated accordingly, though thankfully admissions and deaths have stayed far lower than seen at the beginning of the pandemic due to effective vaccines.
Guidelines still in place
As mentioned above, there are no COVID-19 restrictions currently in place in the UK. That said, there are still guidelines in place around staying at home when infected. The Northern Irish government goes further, stating that ‘Everyone should take steps to reduce the risk of catching or spreading coronavirus (COVID-19)’.
The NHS also continues to run its winter vaccinations campaign, advising eligible people to get their flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines to top up their immunity. This is in part to reduce strain on already-stretched health services.
In summary, it’s impossible to say right now – or possibly ever – that we are out of the woods when it comes to COVID-19. Certain precautions, such as renewed vaccination campaigns, will likely need to remain for some time. But thankfully, the situation is certainly more positive than it was when the virus first emerged.
