The Covid-19 Pandemic: Five Years On: Are We Safer Now?

The harsh reality is that global guard rails have weakened even as the risks of the next pandemic have not.

- Teo Yik Ying

As the world's attention is consumed by geopolitical tensions and economic disputes, a quiet but serious crisis is unfolding in the United States – a novel strain of H5N1 avian influenza has begun infecting dairy cattle and humans.

Previously confined to wild birds and poultry, this strain has now been detected in dairy cows in Nevada and Arizona, with human cases emerging among farm workers.

While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that these human infections remain mild and no sustained human-to-human transmission has been observed, the situation underscores the virus' potential to adapt and cross species barriers.

Experts warned such mutations could increase the risk of a new pandemic, evoking memories of the global crisis triggered by Covid-19.

It was five years ago on March 11, 2020, that the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Three weeks later, on April 3, Singapore declared a circuit breaker in response to the outbreak, marking an extraordinary period in our country's history that saw our borders shut, schools and businesses closed, and everyday life put on hold.

As vaccination gathered pace and the pandemic eventually receded around the world, national leaders vowed they would never again allow a virus to paralyze their economies and societies. Billions of dollars were pledged for pandemic preparedness, with commitments to strengthen health security and global response mechanisms.

But five years on, it is worth asking: Are we truly safer today, or was that resolve merely temporary?

THE RISE OF MORE FREQUENT PANDEMICS

One troubling reality is that deadly pandemics have been occurring more often in recent decades.