Experts Debate Whether COVID-19 is Still a “Pandemic”

 https://time.com/6898943/is-covid-19-still-pandemic-2024/ 

Experts Debate Whether COVID-19 is Still a “Pandemic”

As we gradually return to a normal, pre-lockdown life, the use of the word “pandemic” has declined. In my own life, I notice people using the term less frequently, or saying “when we were in a pandemic” to refer to the 2020-21 lockdown period. Although SARS-CoV-2 is certainly still circulating across the world, with dangerous new variants such as Omicron and JN.1, it’s unclear how much people are willing to use the term ‘pandemic’ itself.

The technical meaning of ‘pandemic’ is an epidemic that crosses borders, but experts disagree on the exact usage of the term. Instead, many have chosen to say that we are no longer in the emergency phase of COVID-19 response, but that health guidelines should continue to be followed. Furthermore, using the word “pandemic” could drive lawmakers to move towards more direct action to combat the disease, instead of assuming that the disease is of less urgency to address than previously.

-LL