Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO investigator: We think between now and the end of 2022, this is the point where we get control over this virus ... where we can significantly reduce severe disease and death.

Reuters: By the end of 2022, the WHO aims for 70% of the world's population to be vaccinated.

Van Kerkhove: If we reach that target, we will be in a very, very different situation epidemiologically.

Currently only 3% of the 1.2 billion in Africa are vaxxed - so you'd want to get cracking.

But we're also told the virus will likely continue to mutate, requiring annual booster shots tailored to the latest circulating variants which we actually need bi-annually according to current health expert advice - so it sounds like a tail-chasing exercise.

Reuters: In the meantime, she worries about countries lifting COVID precautions prematurely.

They'll never let go of their restriction lever - even as they say we're transitioning from a pandemic to an endemic.

It's an interesting article - a lot of big statements from scientists suddenly downplaying Covid. I wonder if it's really over - or do they mean it's the same - but now that we've got the bio-state ruling everything, we're not going to talk about deaths so much as before?