4 years later: Americas accounted for 43% of COVID deaths – PAHO

Four years after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic struck the region and wreaked havoc on the health system, the Pan American Health Organisation reported that 43 per cent of the recorded deaths were from the Americas.
On February 26, 2020, Brazil recorded the first case of COVID-19 in its territory, marking the beginning of the pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Since its emergence in December 2019, in Wuhan, China, the SARS-CoV-2 virus left a devastating trail globally, with 774 million cases and seven million deaths recorded to date.
“The Americas were hard hit, accounting for 25 per cent of all cases and 43 per cent of all deaths, making it the region with the highest number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide,” PAHO disclosed.
Over time, the virus has changed and evolved, becoming more transmissible but less lethal. In May last year, WHO declared the end of COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, but infections continue to occur, with more than half a million cases reported worldwide in the last month.
Virologist Jairo Méndez, who is also the Regional Advisor on viral diseases at the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) shared that the pandemic left a profound impact at the global and regional level.
It was shared, “We recognized the gaps in our preparedness and the need to strengthen our capabilities. We learned to rely on science, which allowed us to develop safe and effective vaccines in record time. However, we have also realized that the virus is highly adaptable and can change rapidly, requiring us to continue to closely monitor its evolution and explore potential natural reservoirs. Surveillance networks led by PAHO have been established to monitor the presence of new coronaviruses.”
Several variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have been identified since its emergence, starting with Alpha in late 2020, followed by Gamma and Delta, which had a major public health impact.
Subsequently, Omicron emerged in late 2021, classified as a variant of concern due to its rapid spread. Although the virus has continued to evolve, no significant increase in variant severity or mortality has been detected. While several variants, such as JN.1, are currently being monitored, none have characteristics that make them more aggressive or lethal so far.
The challenges were numerous and significant in the inception. First, the initial lack of understanding about the virus and how to deal with it was daunting. We did not have the necessary tools to detect and diagnose it effectively.
Then, the rapid change of the virus and the emergence of variants posed additional challenges for monitoring and control. However, despite these, progress has been made in integrating epidemiological and virological surveillance systems, which enable us to detect and respond more effectively to future threats.
PAHO played a crucial role during the pandemic in several areas, for example, by supporting surveillance of respiratory diseases, facilitating the implementation of diagnostic protocols for COVID-19 and debunking false information.
In addition, the entity has developed evidence-based clinical guidelines and supported the implementation of vaccination plans. Currently, we are focused on strengthening regional capacity to deal with future pandemics, reducing dependence on external inputs and promoting solidarity among countries to share information and provide mutual support.
One lesson learned is that science must guide actions in response to health emergencies, and we hope that confidence in it will grow and that this will happen in the next emergency.