It’s been five years since the world confronted the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the virus remains a global threat, with older patients and those with underlying health conditions remaining at risk due to a lack of procedures and testing in place.

These were just two of the findings from our interviews for a new policy paper ‘COVID-19: Navigating policy in the new normal,’ which was developed and paid for in partnership with Gilead Sciences INC. In the report, leading clinical and health experts from across Europe and the US, Gilead, former Deputy Chief Medical Officer to England, Prof. Sir Jonathan Van-Tam and the former Vice President of Taiwan, Prof. Chien-Jen Chen, all called on global policymakers to act on a series of recommendations.

COVID-19 remains a global threat

The danger posed by COVID-19 remains even though it has now entered this new endemic phase. Older people and those with underlying health conditions remain very much at risk and we need to ensure that their needs are being looked after. Although an estimated that 67% of the total global population had been vaccinated, COVID-19 remains a major health issue, with death rates in hospitals broadly comparable to influenza.

While the number of deaths has dropped markedly since the start of the pandemic, the risk to patients who slip through the net and require hospital care, mainly those over 65 years of age and/or with underlying risk conditions, is still substantial. Data from a hospital series in the USA suggested that of patients admitted with Omicron BA.5 infection, 70% were vaccinated with at least one prior dose of vaccine, yet approximately 15% required ICU care and approximately 5% died.

Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, clinicians highlighted that the procedures previously in place are no longer, and there is a need for coordinated and standardised patient pathways for early diagnosis and treatment. Prompt risk assessment of patients based on the severity of their COVID-19 case and additional comorbidities is essential.

What needs to be done?

Unfortunately, the report highlights serious concerns from clinicians and former policymakers that not enough is being done at a local or national level to ensure a consistent and appropriate approach to patients reporting serious COVID-19 symptoms.

At an international level, there is a need for a coordinated global effort, with a recognition of the important role that global healthcare institutions have to play and the need for the coordinated collection and sharing of data and genomic information to track the development of new variants.

The lack of diagnosis and patient pathways is hampering the effective treatment of patients. Across nations, there is a need for clear patient pathways to ensure consistency of approach and equitable access to treatments and clearer guidelines need to be on place, which currently vary from country to country.

Older people, those who are immunocompromised and those living with comorbidity issues, are particularly at risk. There is therefore a need to ensure vulnerable groups are recognised and protected, with clear patient pathways are available to them. And given the disproportional effect of COVID-19 on marginalised and disadvantaged communities, quick and affordable access to medicine and treatment is required to address health inequalities.

We can all recall the regular drumbeat of news and information during the pandemic. Recognising that there is public fatigue following the pandemic, there is still a need for public and professional education. Contributors to the report highlighted the importance of clear communication from governments to the public about the continued risks that COVID-19 poses to vulnerable patients and ensure that medical workers have clear guidelines and information.

The need for vigilance

Five years since COVID-19 posed a major threat to global health, much has been done to develop a range of effective tools including vaccines, tests and treatments. Yet, as former policymakers and clinicians have warned in this report, healthcare leaders need to be vigilant and ensure that best practice, data and information continues to be shared between clinicians and policymakers to strengthen countries’ preparedness for new variants and any future challenges. As one senior policymaker suggested “to put out the fire when it is small is very important, rather than let it spread out.”

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You can read the full report here.