WHEELING — While U.S. President Joe Biden stated that “the pandemic is over” during an interview with 60 Minutes last weekend, representatives from local health departments remarked that the virus didn’t get the memo, as their work continues into the third autumn since the pandemic began.

Wheeling-Ohio County Health Administrator Howard Gamble said that while the United States has seen a dramatic slowing of COVID-19 cases and deaths, the world at large continues to struggle to contain the spread of disease, and that the work of local health departments is ongoing.

“This is a global pandemic. Many countries are still wrestling with the virus, trying to get vaccines and treatments to their residents,” Gamble said. “And so, if we still have a global pandemic, which we do, it’s very difficult to say a country is done.

“For the United States, the pandemic may have slowed down dramatically, and we are getting back to normal,” he continued. “Cases have dropped significantly and we’re getting back to normal – in that context, yes, the pandemic is over. But the disease is still there, we need to vaccinate people so we don’t continue to have cases and can spread them to a manageable state.”

Marshall County Health Department nurse Jo Ann Dobbs agreed, saying that employees continued to work on a daily basis to continue fighting COVID, and that while cases continue to trend down at this time, recent events such as the return to schools and Labor Day weekend saw numbers rise, indicating that the decrease is a trend, not a rule.

“I think it’s going to continue to be such anytime we have a holiday gathering, any time there’s a big event in our community, we do see an increase in number,” Dobbs said. “… For me, I can’t say that it’s over. We’re still dealing with it. Marshall County’s had a death in the month of September from COVID.”

Dobbs added that many in the community have been of the mindset that the pandemic has been over for some time, and that Biden’s statements may not change their behavior in response.

“I feel that a lot of people have felt like the pandemic is over,” she said. “You don’t see people masking. We don’t see people taking precautions like they were in the beginning. A lot of people look at it like they’re so over COVID – and aren’t we all? – but COVID’s still out there. There are so many people who are not vaccinated, and the potential of severe death or illness is still prevevlant.”

Gamble agreed, saying that he thought Biden’s comments would likely not cause a change in peoples’ behavior.

“If the general public hears from leadership that something is over, we take it as a person in power, a person of knowledge knows, and therefore, we’re going to make changes to our everyday life,” Gamble said. “It should have been clarified a little better – are we getting back to normal? Yes. But we’re not done with vaccinations, with being cautious, with (staying home) while sick.

“We had less than 10 deaths reported (one day last week) in West Virginia,” he continued. “… It’s still occurring. The concern public health has is, if someone were to say a disease, outbreak, pandemic is over, the general population then responds to those statements. We’re not. We’re not done with this globally, and we’re a very global society.”

Gamble pointed out that international travel, vacations, and other travel are prevalent enough as to remain a hazard, even in the United States where cases are a fraction of what they once were.

“We have kids and adults going everywhere around the globe. We go on vacations, international travel, international students, and yes, you can bring the disease back,” Gamble added. “There’s our concern, that we’ve let our guard down, and as the disease history will show, when you let your guard down, stop vaccinating, stop being cautious, while you have a disease that’s still very rampant, it’ll pop its head back out.”