WHO chief expects COVID emergency to end this year
JP Yim
After more than three years, the World Health Organization (WHO) could announce an end to the emergency status of COVID-19 this year, the head of the global body Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Thursday.
In early 2020, the WHO named the COVID-19 pandemic a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), issuing the U.N. agency's highest alert level.
Despite a drop in case numbers, the WHO maintained COVID-19 as a global emergency early this year, siding with the views of its International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee.
"I think we will be able to lift it this year," Dr. Adhanom said without specifying a timeline. His remarks come as the IHR emergency committee is scheduled to conduct its next meeting in May.
COVID-19 vaccine makers: Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)/ BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (MRNA), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ), Novavax (NVAX), AstraZeneca (AZN), GSK (GSK)/ Sanofi (SNY), Sinovac Biotech (SVA), Sinopharm Group (OTCPK:SHTDF) (OTCPK:SHTDY), CanSino Biologics (OTCPK:CASBF), Valneva SE (VALN)
COVID drug makers: Gilead (GILD), Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK)
Largest U.S. manufacturers of rapid COVID-19 tests: Becton, Dickinson (BDX), Quidel (QDEL), Abbott Laboratories (ABT), Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY)
Read: In February, Seeking Alpha Investing Groups Leader Valkyrie Trading Society downgraded GSK (GSK) to Hold from Buy citing a waning demand for its Vir Biotech (VIR) partnered COVID therapy Xevudy.