"Therapeutics, Vaccines, and Healthcare Systems" ... Three Prerequisites for COVID-19 Endemic

Omicron Variant Pandemic Turns to Decline
"Paxlovid Shortage and Prescription Issues Make It Premature"
Omicron-Stealth Hybrid Variant Emerges Abroad

On the 1st, when the government announced the adjustment plan for social distancing, office workers were moving for lunch in Myeongdong, Seoul. From the 4th, for two weeks, the limit on private gatherings will be expanded from 8 to 10 people, and business hours restrictions will be extended from 11 PM to midnight. The government plans to consider lifting all quarantine regulations except indoor mask-wearing if the COVID-19 outbreak clearly shifts to a decline and severe cases and the medical system are stably managed over the next two weeks. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

As the government actively considers transitioning to a return to normal life by finally allowing 'private gatherings of up to 10 people and business hours until midnight,' expectations are growing for managing COVID-19 as an endemic disease. Experts emphasize that to achieve this, securing sufficient COVID-19 treatments and vaccinations, establishing a daily healthcare system capable of rapid diagnosis and treatment, and cooperation with other countries must be prerequisites.

According to the quarantine authorities on the 5th, the Omicron variant wave, which saw daily cases reach 600,000 in mid-last month, has passed its peak and is showing a declining trend. As of midnight on that day, there were 266,135 new COVID-19 cases, nearly 140,000 more than the previous day, but this is more than 80,000 fewer compared to the same day one to two weeks earlier (347,490 on the 29th of last month and 353,898 on the 22nd).

The foremost prerequisite for endemicity, according to experts, is securing effective treatments. Professor Kim Woo-joo of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Korea University Guro Hospital said, "In winter, when the flu is prevalent, everyone goes to the hospital to get vaccinated and prescribed Tamiflu; similarly, COVID-19 vaccines and treatments must be stably supplied." He pointed out, "Currently, Paxlovid is in short supply and prescriptions are limited, so it is premature to declare endemicity."

The possibility of new virus waves, such as the XE variant, is also a variable on the path to endemicity. The coronavirus has mutated from Delta to Omicron (BA.1), then to Stealth Omicron (BA.2), and recently, cases of the ‘XE’ recombinant variant, a mix of BA.1 and BA.2, have been confirmed in various countries overseas.

Professor Lee Jae-gap of the Department of Infectious Diseases at Hallym University Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital said, "Over the past two years, we have repeatedly experienced unpredictable outbreaks and worsening situations due to variants. No matter how much we define it as endemic, if a new variant sweeps through, it itself becomes a pandemic again."

Professor Lee Hyuk-min of the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Severance Hospital stated, "Endemic does not mean the infectious disease ends, but that we must live with it lifelong, ultimately responding with vaccines and treatments." He added, "It is necessary to monitor new variants early to quickly detect abnormal reactions such as a sudden increase in confirmed cases or deaths, and to have the technology and production facilities to rapidly develop new vaccines tailored to variants."

Professor Choi Jae-wook of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Korea University said, "Even if our country is the first to enter endemic status, new variants emerging in neighboring countries like China will inevitably strike us first." He added, "In the current situation where international travel and entry are free, it is meaningless for only one country to discuss endemicity; other countries worldwide must discuss it together."

To minimize critically ill patients and deaths and prevent overloading the healthcare system, preparations must be made, and mid- to long-term plans for transitioning COVID-19 to a daily healthcare system should be expedited. Professor Lee Jae-gap emphasized, "COVID-19 patients should receive routine care at nearby hospitals, and critically ill patients should be treated under normal conditions, but the reality is that intensive care is still challenging." He stressed, "Systematic preparation at the government level is necessary to ensure the healthcare system operates stably."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.