What Does the COVID Endemic Mean For Us?

01 Nov 2021

6 Min Read

Cheng Su Anne (Guest Contibutor)

IN THIS ARTICLE

Over the last two months, we’ve seen an influx of updates on declining COVID infection rates and deaths as well as loosening restrictions. With that, Malaysia’s local authorities, like the health Director General, informs us that we’re ready to declare a shift towards the state of endemic.

Hooray! Good news! But wait… What now?

A majority of us have been painstakingly trying to adapt ourselves with the new normal we’ve practically been forced into since the COVID-19 pandemic took over. But now that the catastrophe is slowly ebbing away from reality, what exactly do we do as the world slowly reopens? Where we’re right now feels like a limbo between disaster in the past and hope for the future. To conceptualise, it must’ve been how the Marvel Universe felt after that Infinity War cliffhanger and End Game opening — where society was left lost and senseless upon experiencing a worldwide calamity.

So, if you’re feeling just as perplexed as the characters in the Avengers, fret not! Here are a few pointers on how we can potentially navigate through the commencing future that holds for us soon.

First Things First, What's the Endemic? Pandemic? Epidemic?

Essentially, endemic does NOT equal zero covid.

An endemic, as defined by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), refers to the prevalence of an infectious disease within a population of a geographical area. In comparison to a pandemic, the disease doesn’t rapidly infect different populations of multiple countries any longer.

A pandemic is the widespread of a disease rampantly occurring on a worldwide scale, slightly more comparable to an epidemic, which denotes the outbreak of a particular disease restricted to only a geographical area (like a particular country).

Despite coming to the end of a pandemic, the endemic means that the coronavirus WILL persist to exist within a country, Malaysia included.

Where's Malaysia Heading Towards Right Now?

Countries like the UK and the US are well ahead of the endemic phase as they uplift almost all of their restrictions — even to the point where they can roam with masks off! In comparison, Malaysia has been taking a rather delayed but relatively steady approach as we achieve endemic.

11th October 2021 marks as a ‘revived Independence Day’ for a sum of Malaysians as the government announces the possibility to resume interstate traveling. Along with the opening of borders, we’re also witnessing the economy and local businesses slowly reviving once again as we collectively strive for a semblance of normalcy.

As Malaysia moves towards this endemic state, it’s crucial to reflect on the factors that contributed to this successful shift in our country.

Functionally imposed public health measures that came hand-in-hand with the expeditious vaccination rate have been the fundamental driving forces that paved the way towards a more controlled COVID-19 prospect in the country. Not to forget, our frontliners and healthcare workers who worked strenuously ever since the dawn of this health crisis early of 2020.

However, we’ve to be wary that the impressive 90% adult vaccination rate achieved by October 2021 in Malaysia is NOT equivalent to the initial herd immunity goal targeted at the beginning of COVID-19.

The minister of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) stresses on how the endemic in Malaysia may still see a consistent transmission of the virus, especially with the Delta virus coexisting with the lifting of travel bans, complicating the possibility of herd immunity any longer. Nevertheless, a breakthrough of pharmaceutical discoveries like oral antiviral medications and more efficient preventive measures could potentially curate a brighter future in managing COVID-19.

What's Next For Us Students?

Well, as we enter the post-COVID-19 era, we’re pretty much set to see the campus gradually reopening and coming back to life once again! Along the same lines, us university and college students can also expect a resurrection of social life as we slowly resume face-to-face interactions (with real life humans in front of us, no more screens!) with friends and fellow peers in university.

Oh, did I mention the amount of scrumptious food, cafe hopping, shopping, sightseeing, and travelling we can finally have plans for too?! FINALLY, we’ll somewhat have a taste of what youth, fun, and adventure encompasses once more!

Okay, snapping back to a more realistic viewpoint, of course we’re obliged to resume our university coursework and assignments that’ll never seem to cease, even if the pandemic does *sniffles*. Even so, the endemic holds greater prospects and opportunities for those of us who are still studying and here are a few reasons why.

Firstly, we obviously get a taste of that long awaited campus life aforementioned before. Besides that, we finally get to experience more hands-on practical lessons like workshops, laboratory sessions, and physical activities which were confined before.

Other invaluable programs like our internships and international exchange programmes may soon resume once more as well!

As victims of the relentless open and distance learning (ODL), I’m sure we’ve come to a realisation of how these real-life experiences cannot simply be traded off with online substitution in return.

But Can We Really Adapt to the Post-COVID World?

With all the commotion of the plague subsiding, we’ve to deliberately and vigilantly remain agile with the future trends that come as a part and parcel of the post-COVID world. We’ve effectively witnessed close to a fully digitalised era, concurrent to the pandemic that fast tracked the fourth industrial revolution to take centre stage.

This poses a huge question mark left to be answered by the educational policymakers too: will a part of virtual and digitised learning remain integrated into the curriculum as we move on ahead?

The heated debate on the facilitation vs. difficulties of remote learning amongst us students has been an ongoing topic even as we reach endemic. With consequences involving mental health and cost-effectiveness at stake, will there be a common ground between the pre-COVID and lockdown culture which we can assimilate to take on post-COVID?

Aside from that, this historical era is living proof of how the world can change in the blink of an eye, reflecting on our true priorities in life. The pandemic has taught us the fundamental importance of our health and hygiene especially in times where the entire human population is susceptible to a common microscopic enemy.

Time after time we’re being reminded by authorities to maintain adhering to health safety measures as the biggest lesson in the wake of a pandemic.

Thus far, the vaccines at hand are unable to cure COVID-19, but will there be more scientific breakthroughs that can give us the power to efficiently handle any surge of infections in the near future?

All in all, these unanswered questions left for us will certainly require extensive collaborative effort from all parties for a smooth exit plan as we transition to our endemic lifestyle.

Drawing back to the End Game metaphor, I’d like to think of the entire community, us pandemic students included, as part of the ‘Avengers’ ensemble that managed to defeat our devastating enemy and saved the world from further peril. Just like the Black Death, the Spanish flu, and H1N1 series, humanity has proven its resilience.

But do keep in mind, COVID-19 has definitely showcased the possibility of future pandemics waves that may come crashing to our shores once again. An array of undiscovered microscopic ‘nemesis’ remaining dormant could possibly surface as climate change creeps in too. Only this time, hopefully, we’ll be more prepared for what's to come. I hope this somewhat-comprehensive overview of Malaysia’s endemic would now give you a clearer insight on its implications, particularly us university students, as we brace to readjust ourselves again to yet another brand new wave of normal.

Perhaps, soon enough, I’d be able to trade my final greetings to you from, “Stay safe” to “See you again soon!”.

Cheng Su Anne is an alumni of the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at Taylor's University. She was also the President of Taylor’s Voila! Le French Club, have been actively involved as the Executive Council of Malaysian Pharmacy Students’ Association, and a committee under the Malaysian Pharmacists Society – Young Pharmacists Chapter.

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