Is it time to move on from COVID-19?: Here's what health experts say
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Just weeks away from California ending its coronavirus State of Emergency, the experts say signs are pointing to the end of the pandemic.
But as ABC 7 News reporter Tara Campbell finds, experts say when exactly is still up in the air.
"Certainly the worst worrisome part of the pandemic is at an end," said Dr. Maria Raven, Chief of Emergency Medicine at UCSF Medical Center.
She says the emergency department is seeing between zero and four cases of COVID a day a long way from the height of the pandemic.
"Given both the relatively low number of cases that we're seeing and the severity of the current version of the virus it feels like it's time to move on," she said.
VIDEO: Doctors explain why US COVID emergency order ending 'makes sense' and what will change
And in just a few weeks, California will be moving on ending its coronavirus State of Emergency on February 28.
On Friday, the State says it won't require students to get the COVID vaccine for schools.
"Kids are going to get COVID the way they get RSV and the flu, which by the way are far more dangerous for them at this point than COVID. It's a reality but I think it is going to be okay for kids to go back to school regardless," Dr. Raven said.
And in another move away from pandemic protocols, the Federal Government announcing come fall it's cutting off free COVID vaccines; testing and treatment will also depend on insurance coverage.
"We probably won't see a huge impact on the population like we did ever before for COVID-19," said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, Infectious Diseases Expert UCSF.
MORE: CDC launches tool to help find free COVID testing sites
"Even if there are scary new variants the soil in which it's landing on is very inhospitable right now because so many people have some sort of immunity," he said.
And he says we're likely not too far from the pandemic becoming an endemic - meaning it's still around, but not disrupting everyday life.
"We are near the end, but the word endemic implies predictability and we don't have that yet," Dr. Chin-Hong said.
VIDEO: Why is California's most vulnerable population not up-to-date on COVID vaccinations?
Get through the fall, he says without a surge and it will be time to call it over.
"If I were to bet a hundred dollars, I'd say we'll likely see a quiet time until next winter," he said.
Then he says COVID-19 becomes more like just another winter virus.
VACCINE TRACKER: How California is doing, when you can get a coronavirus vaccine
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