Five Years After COVID-19 Declared a Pandemic, Its Impact Still Reverberates

While the global health emergency has officially ended, the pandemic's profound societal, personal, and systemic effects continue to shape lives worldwide.

• The World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic over in May 2023, but the virus continues to affect vulnerable populations and those with long-term health conditions like long COVID.
• The pandemic caused over 1.2 million deaths in the United States and 7 million globally, leaving lasting personal and collective scars on families, healthcare workers, and communities.
• Significant societal shifts, such as the normalization of remote work, telehealth, and outdoor recreation, have persisted, transforming how people live, work, and interact.
• Healthcare workers, chaplains, and families recount the emotional toll of the crisis, with many experiencing post-traumatic stress and ongoing grief from the loss of loved ones and colleagues.
• Long COVID remains a major public health challenge, with millions still suffering from debilitating symptoms, while research and government support for treatments face significant hurdles.

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