La UE s'allunya de la fase d'emergència de la pandèmia de COVID

This shift is occurring amid a steady drop in cases and a decrease in deaths related to COVID-19. This is due to the spread Omicron variant, which is less dangerous, and the immunization of more than 70% of EU citizens. Half of those people have also received a booster shot.

The EU draft document states that "This Communication proposes an approach to the management of pandemics in the coming months, moving away from emergency to a more sustained mode."

The Commission did not comment.

The World Health Organization (WHO), which is responsible for declaring a pandemic, and ending it, has huge legal implications for many sectors including vaccine manufacturers and insurers. The U.N. agency stated that the pandemic has not ended.

The EU document is not binding and contains clear warnings that COVID-19 "is here to stay" and likely with the emergence new variants. Therefore, "vigilance is essential and you must remain prepared."

Stella Kyriakides, Health Commissioner, has prepared a draft document that will be adopted Wednesday. It warns of new surges and suggests EU governments remain vigilant and be ready to revert to emergency measures if necessary.

anunci

It also acknowledged that a new phase had begun and that a different approach was needed to monitor the pandemic.

This means that mass testing, which requires people with symptoms to be tested along with their contacts, has been dropped in certain EU countries. This is in stark contrast to current policies in China, where large cities are locked down and subjected regularly to mass testing and lockdowns after detection of few cases.

This shift is recognized by the Commission, who notes that less testing may make it more difficult to interpret epidemiological data.

This is consistent with the warnings of the WHO head General Tedros Abom Ghebreyesus, who on Tuesday called for countries to monitor coronavirus infections. He said that the world was "blind" as to how the virus was spreading due to falling testing rates. L2N2WO1SR.

Brussels calls for more advanced methods of detecting outbreaks to address this problem.

The draft document states that targeted diagnostic testing should be implemented. It also notes that new testing strategies should continue to provide useful information on epidemiological trends.

Priority groups should be identified for testing, including people who may become ill from an outbreak, those at high risk, and those who work with vulnerable populations.

The surveillance of the virus must also be modified. There should be an increase in genomic sequencing to identify new variants and a decrease in mass reporting.

The document states that surveillance should not be limited to the reporting and identification of all cases. It should instead focus on reliable estimates of the intensity and impact of severe diseases and vaccine effectiveness.

It proposes establishing a surveillance network similar to the one used to monitor seasonal influenza. In this system, a small number of healthcare providers will collect and share pertinent data.

The document states that vaccines are still essential to fight COVID-19. It recommends states to consider strategies to increase vaccination among children five years and older before next school year.

The Commission warns children aged 5 to 9 years old that vaccinations are below 15%. This is the youngest age for which COVID-19 vaccines in Europe have been approved. This compares to more than 70% of teenagers aged 15-17, the document states.