• The magnitude of the pandemic was so devastating that it left an indelible mark on the political, social and economic aspects of each nation. For instance, do you remember COVID-19? How could you forget, right?

Looking back five years ago, a moment that was going to change the livelihoods that we, humans, once called norm, loomed. A pandemic was knocking on the door, and somehow, it would eventually find its way in. The magnitude of the pandemic was so devastating that it left an indelible mark on the political, social and economic aspects of each nation. For instance, do you remember COVID-19? How could you forget, right?

Talking optics, the pandemic’s foremost cases were reported in Wuhan, China and the World Health Organization (WHO) approached the matter with the attention it demanded. This occasioned the formulation of a 15-member Emergency committee, directed to establish whether the outbreak was a global emergency.

By dint of the dire status quo that the committee predicted, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus nodded to their verdict and declared the global emergency.

Here is why this was both horrendous and historic.

See, the acts of convening Emergency Committees and declaring public health emergencies of international concern are enshrined in the International Health Regulations. First adopted in 1951 as the International Sanitary Regulations, and amended periodically since then, these rules were born out of the age-old need for countries to work together to stop the spread of disease.

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The 19th Century had its fair share of threats to public health that demanded health emergencies like Cholera and waterborne diseases. And in the 21st century, Corona Virus had its dreadful finger on the pulse of humanity, booking many pages of history to be read by the coming generations.

According to the WHO, the preliminary estimates suggest the total number of global deaths attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 is at least 3 million, representing 1.2 million more deaths than officially reported (1 813 188).

Of course, an ordeal of such extent brought with it lessons to be learnt. For instance, the WHO has affirmed that its member states have revised the International Health Regulations. “Based on experiences from COVID-19 and other disease outbreaks, WHO’s member countries have revised the International Health Regulations once again. Countries are also discussing a new global agreement on cooperation for pandemics,” the statement read in part.

Wear a mask, wash your hands regularly with soap and running water, and maintain social distance were the new norms of 2020. Five years later, the scars are a reminder that the next pandemic is definitely a question of when, not if.

Stay safe.