Pandemic or Endemic? The Hamletic dilemma about the uncertain evolution of the Covid-19 Pandemic: the Role of Income Inequalities

Author(s): Matteo Maria Cati

The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, originating from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is under the close scrutiny of the World Health Organization (W.H.O.). Many governments, such as the Italian government, are relaxing or even completely canceling the various emergency measures (as an example, readmitting no vax health personnel to work in the hospitals), and everyone is wondering when the COVID-19 pandemic will be downgraded to an endemic. Is it too soon to do so? Even if the news on the pandemic is comforting, there are still reasons for uncertainty and concern. This article raises two important questions: a) is Omicron, the SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern (V.O.C)s currently circulating, the last one? and b) what factors can favor or disfavor the onset of new Variant of Concern (VOCs)? The given answers to those questions have the potential to identify new lines of research.