Experts predict the end of the Covid pandemic after two years.

Two years have passed since the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic, and many U.S. states are easing Covid restrictions as the daily new cases decrease nationwide.

A major new report advises caution: there's still much work to be done before the pandemic officially ends.

An independent group of 53 doctors and public health policy experts, including former government health officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations, have written a 136-page roadmap for living with Covid for the foreseeable future. The report recommends how local, state, and federal governments should deal with the virus, which it describes as "here to stay."

The report suggests that with the implementation of effective public health policies, individuals can return to a lifestyle similar to before the pandemic. To accomplish this, the report provides recommendations to help transition Covid into its endemic phase and move the U.S. into post-pandemic life.

Here are its biggest takeaways:

A target of fewer than 165 deaths per day

In order to adapt to the new normal, the report suggests that Covid-19 death rates must decrease to a level comparable to influenza, a disease that causes over 50,000 American deaths annually. This would mean an average of fewer than 165 deaths per day.

The seven-day average of daily new U.S. deaths is 1,259, according to Johns Hopkins University data. This is seven times higher than the recommended target, indicating that there is still much work to be done before the country can consider itself in the clear.

The report recommends that increasing the number of vaccinated individuals would significantly aid in reducing the spread of Covid-19. It is suggested that at least 85% of the U.S. population should receive at least two doses of a Covid vaccine. As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. is currently 65% fully vaccinated.

A new Operation Warp Speed-like program for therapeutics

The report suggests that the country needs to develop more therapeutic drugs, possibly a combination of two or three, to prevent severe illness and hospitalization after infection with Covid-19 in order to live with the virus long-term.

The authors of the report suggest reviving the Operation Warp Speed initiative, which was a collaboration between the U.S. government and private companies to expedite the production of Covid vaccines in 2020 and 2021, to speed up the development of some existing antiviral Covid drugs.

According to the report, two drugs developed by Pfizer and Merck have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. However, the report suggests that more therapeutic treatment options are needed.

In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden unveiled a new "Test to Treat" program that will provide free antiviral pills to individuals who test positive for Covid at major pharmacies, federally qualified health centers, and long-term care facilities.

The program is currently operational in only a few hundred locations but is expected to expand to tens of thousands of locations in the coming weeks. A federal "Test to Treat" website with participating facilities will launch in mid-March. Additional information about the program can be found here.

A communication program to inform you when local Covid transmission rates are high

The report recommends the establishment of a centralized "information and communication center" to oversee the dissemination of data on infectious diseases and to communicate when and where masks should be worn if Covid-19 cases increase.

According to the recently updated CDC guidelines, masks are no longer required in areas with less than 200 Covid cases per 100,000 residents, fewer than 10 hospital admissions per 100,000 people in the previous week, and Covid patients occupying less than 10% of available hospital beds, based on a seven-day average.

You can find out if masks are currently recommended in your county on the CDC's website.

More health funding for minority communities

The report recommends that more funding and research be allocated by Congress and state legislators to address the health disparities that disproportionately affect people of color, rural communities, tribal lands, and other underserved groups and locations. These groups often have limited access to healthcare and higher mortality rates compared to the rest of the U.S. population.

The report suggests funding local health initiatives led by community leaders and faith-based organizations to reach underserved areas, as these communities are more likely to distrust government agencies and the healthcare system.

Other notable recommendations

Some of the lengthy report’s other notable recommendations include:

• Ensuring that Covid test kits are accessible, either at no cost or for a reasonable price of $3 per kit.
• Tracking the shortage of the local health care workforce across the country by creating a new metric.
• Public buildings may implement enhanced air filtration systems as an alternative to using protective equipment like respirators and face masks.
• When Covid cases in your community increase, use high-quality N95 masks instead of cloth masks.

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