The Covid-19 pandemic has now entered its third year. With the ongoing threat of the Omicron variant around the world, we can expect at least part of 2022 to be dominated by the struggle to contain the Sars-CoV-2 virus.
Over the past two years, this virus has caused massive suffering. Many have lost their lives, while others have seen their health adversely affected. Educational, social and economic systems have been turned upside down. The impact on people's mental well-being may be felt for many years to come.
The global community has been shocked by the impact of this new virus, but we have also learned a lot. We now understand better how this virus spreads and who is more at risk of developing severe disease. We have identified drugs that can help treat severe cases, developed tests that identify the virus, and developed vaccines that protect, especially against the severest forms of the disease. We have set up surveillance systems that can trace and track the virus and its mutations. We know that masks, hand washing, physical distancing and improving ventilation are simple but effective protective measures that everyone can apply. And we have seen how important resilient and robust health systems are in the fight against this virus.
In Thailand, coordination mechanisms were set up to deal with the crisis. Hospitals, hotels and stadiums became Covid-19 wards, hospitels and field hospitals, and health personnel were reassigned to take care of sick Covid-19 patients. Existing laboratories could rapidly scale up Covid testing, including genetic sequencing, while track-and-trace surveillance provided the intelligence to target interventions where they were most needed. Around the country, Village Health Volunteers linked communities with health facilities and offered advice to people, and now over 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have so far been administered.
People in Thailand have shown remarkable resilience, solidarity and discipline. Most people wear masks in public places, keep their distance from others, and have embraced vaccination. The government and civil society are working together to ensure that the most vulnerable, including migrants, can benefit from all the measures Thailand has put in place to combat and contain this pandemic.
But as we start 2022, we must understand that the battle is not over yet. Although the virus may become "endemic" at some future point, it is also possible that new variants will emerge, bringing new reasons for concern.
We must not become complacent.
Even if a large part of the population is immunised, a significant minority of people are not, and the immunity of those who are vaccinated may wane. Therefore, it is important that everyone in Thailand gets vaccinated and follows the national guidance about getting extra shots. Extra effort is needed to reach out and provide vaccination to those who are more at risk, such as pregnant women, the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions. Families and friends can and must help in convincing these people if they feel uncertain or if they face difficulties in accessing vaccination sites. Vaccines are safe, effective, available and free. These vaccines save lives, and there is absolutely no reason not to get immunised.
Vaccines are only one weapon to fight this virus, and it is just as essential to maintain the measures we've all become used to: wearing a mask, keeping distance, washing our hands regularly, and getting tested when feeling ill.
Covid-19 has shown us more than any other disease that prevention and cure is everyone's business. We all must take up our responsibility by protecting ourselves and protecting others. Not just for Covid-19, but all diseases, both communicable and non-communicable. There is no other way.
Dr Jos Vandelaer is WHO Representative to Thailand.
