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‘Important not to jump into a post-pandemic mindset just yet’ | Johns Hopkins University health experts give COVID update, outlook for future

Two experts highlighted the progress made so far in the fight against the virus. They also illustrated key metrics to focus on as the pandemic continues.

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Health experts from the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University gave a briefing to members of the media Thursday on COVID-19, sharing the current state of the pandemic and what the future could bring. 

Dr. Crystal Watson, an assistant professor of Environmental Health and Engineering, and Dr. Andrew Pekosz, a virologist and professor in the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, led the briefing.

Both experts highlighted the progress made so far in the fight against the virus, such as the introduction of vaccines, and they also illustrated key metrics to focus on as the pandemic continues, as well as when the public might have an inkling that it's coming to an end.

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Watson said that although the United States and much of the world is coming off of the intense omicron variant wave, it is ill-advised to already have a post-pandemic mindset. Pekosz emphasized that there are still many opportunities for other variants to emerge, as evidenced by BA.1 and BA.2.

Both subvariants are a descendant of omicron, according to information from the World Health Organization. However, early analysis from the institute in Denmark shows no difference in hospitalizations between BA.1 and BA.2.

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The hope is that future variants will be "less disruptive," as Watson describes. She specified that experts believe the pandemic will have shown clear signs of coming to an end when the key metrics of hospitalization and death do not coincide with case surges. At that time, there will also hopefully be sustained, reduced transmission.

Both experts still emphasized the importance of the currently-used mitigation measures. Testing is still a necessary tool for society, organizations, and individuals as we all make decisions about what daily activities to partake in. Masking is also still important, even for children, Watson said.

"A school with very few mitigation measures — without masking and improved ventilation and very few people vaccinated — that can be very risky in terms of transmission. We have evidence from the CDC that in schools that are not taking those precautions, with these variants, virus is going to spread pretty readily," she said after being asked about the current risk level in schools. She did add that children are at a lower risk for severe illness and death in general. 

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 Watson said that now is not the time to remove masks in indoor settings due to the current level of virus. However, she highlighted the fact that these mitigation measures have previously proven effective.

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