Australia Enters a New Phase of COVID-19 Management The country’s emergency response has been officially ended, marking a shift towards a “new business as usual” approach
Australia is currently experiencing its eighth wave of COVID-19 infections. However, health officials remain confident in their decision to terminate the country’s emergency response, emphasizing a transition to a “new business as usual” approach.
While infectious disease experts and doctors acknowledge that the pandemic has introduced a new and persistent respiratory virus, they concur that Australia has surpassed the emergency phase. The latest wave of infections is anticipated to be less severe than previous ones.
A Calculated Decision
Professor Paul Kelly, Australia’s chief medical officer, expressed his initial reservations regarding ending the COVID-19 emergency response when the recent wave emerged. Nevertheless, he and state chief health officers reached a consensus to declare the end of the emergency phase on October 20.
Kelly stated that Australia’s robust immunity, acquired through widespread vaccinations and previous infections, enables a shift towards a more normalized approach to COVID-19 management.
“Each of the waves we’ve had this year has been less and less severe,” Kelly explained.
“There is always a possibility that a novel variant of concern could emerge, but considering the evolution since Omicron’s introduction in late 2021, we have witnessed hundreds of Omicron subvariants, none of which have significantly altered the trajectory.”
Kelly clarified that the termination of the CDINS declaration will have minimal impact on Australia’s COVID-19 management strategies. However, the National Incident Centre in Canberra, which has been operational since 2019 in response to various disasters, has been closed for the first time in over four years.
As of this month, national COVID-19 data will be released monthly instead of weekly.
Current Situation
On Friday, there were 1,239 Australians hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest number since July. However, this figure remains considerably lower than the peak of 2,771 hospitalizations reached during the earlier winter COVID-19 wave in June.
During the first nine months of this year, COVID-19 caused just over 3,375 deaths in Australia. This contrasts sharply with the 8,622 deaths recorded during the same period in 2022, Australia’s deadliest year of the pandemic.
Expert Perspectives
Professor James McCaw, a prominent Australian pandemic advisor, noted that the latest COVID-19 wave had been anticipated for about a month. He cautioned that predicting the peak is challenging, explaining that a slow rise likely indicates a gradual decline as well.
“We don’t anticipate a significant increase in notifications or, more importantly, hospitalizations,” he stated.
McCaw, a mathematical biologist and epidemiologist, endorsed the official conclusion of the emergency response but emphasized the importance of maintaining and expanding Australia’s pandemic monitoring capabilities for COVID-19 and other pathogens like influenza.
The Impact on Healthcare
This week, Dr. Vyom Sharma, a Melbourne GP, completed his final shift at a government-funded general practice respiratory clinic.
Sharma recently contracted COVID-19 for the second time, forcing him to take four days off work. As a result, patients at two aged care facilities could not be seen, and approximately 60 GP appointments were missed.
Sharma, a health commentator, observed positive trends in individuals being allowed to work from home when sick, but stressed the significance of staying away from others when experiencing respiratory symptoms.
Associate Professor Kirsty Short, a virologist, also contracted COVID-19 for the first time recently. Short expressed optimism early in the pandemic that COVID-19 would evolve into a seasonal virus like influenza, with a single large wave each year. However, the most recent pattern in Australia has been at least two waves every 12 months, peaking in winter and summer.
Conclusion
Australia’s transition to a “new business as usual” approach to COVID-19 management reflects the country’s progress in combating the pandemic. While vigilance remains crucial, Australia’s strong immunity and ongoing monitoring efforts provide a foundation for managing COVID-19 as an endemic respiratory virus.