How we will reach a safer community.

Abstract

At the end of last year, the Republic of Korea, China, and Japan responded to concerns about the increase in new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and the emergence of new variants by strengthening their surveillance and quarantine measures. However, contrary to these concerns, the number of new cases and deaths decreased globally, and some have expressed the opinion that the World Health Organization (WHO) should reevaluate the declaration of a global public health crisis. However, the decision has been made to maintain the crisis status for the time being [1]. Nevertheless, in the first week of January, when the Rt value dropped below 1, the Republic of Korea implemented an exit strategy and has enforced it since January 30 [2]. The use of masks in public health facilities where a large number of people gather is now at individuals’ discretion, while their use is mandatory in public transportation. And, it is necessary to transition to a long-term strategy based on the endemicity of COVID-19. In the United States, the BXX. 1.5 variant has become predominant, but it is expected to be resolved by May 11th [3]. Therefore, the search for an exit strategy should consider which measures should be prioritized to prepare for the next pandemic. Building public trust in the safety and efficacy of currently available COVID-19 vaccines is of the utmost importance. Nationwide vaccination and booster programs have been initiated to curb the ongoing pandemic. During the vaccination campaign over the past 3 years, reports of vaccine adverse events have led to the need for research on the epidemiological relationship between vaccination and serious illnesses. To ensure scientific and objective judgments regarding this issue, the government has entrusted research on the adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccinations to the National Academy of Medicine of Korea. The study by Jeong et al. [4] published in this issue summarizes the methods used to research important adverse events following immunization; the ultimate goal of this research program is to increase the reliability of vaccines and combat vaccine hesitancy among medical professionals and the public. The second measure that must be prioritized is the improvement of governance by amending laws and regulations related to infectious diseases. After the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in 2015, the government introduced a legal system that classifies reporting and quarantine methods for disease management based on the severity of each disease group. However, the severity of COVID-19 can change depending on vaccination or mutations in the virus. Thus, the government has changed the classification of COVID-19 from a level 1 disease, which requires immediate reporting, isolation, and treatment cost support, to a level 4 disease, which requires self-payment of treatment and surveillance. This adjustment of the severity level has created confusion in its management and procedural problems related to changing legal measures. Therefore, the disease grouping according to management strategies should