PERSPECTIVES: Who’s Keeping the Fight Alive in the Coronavirus War?

Dibang Mary Akike

Years after the initial shock of COVID-19, the “war” hasn’t ended it has simply changed shape. The frontline is quieter now, but the fight is still being carried by a mix of visible and invisible forces.

At the center are healthcare workers. Doctors, nurses, lab scientists, and community health officers continue to manage cases, treat long term complications, and respond to periodic surges. Their role has shifted from emergency response to sustained vigilance, but it remains just as critical.

Scientists and researchers are another pillar.

 Institutions like the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, alongside universities and biotech companies, keep tracking variants, improving vaccines, and studying long COVID. The speed at which vaccines were developed was historic but maintaining and updating that protection is an ongoing effort.

Governments still play a complicated role. In some places, they fund vaccination programs and public health campaigns in others, fatigue, politics, or economic pressure have reduced urgency.

 The fight is no longer just medical it is also political and economic.

Then there is the public. Ordinary people often overlooked are part of the defense system. Choosing to vaccinate, staying home when sick, or even just maintaining basic hygiene contributes to controlling spread. At this stage, the “war” is less about lockdowns and more about collective responsibility.

Finally, there are those who refuse to let the issue fade journalists, public health advocates, and families affected by loss or long term illness. They keep the conversation alive, reminding the world that while the crisis may not dominate headlines, its impact has not disappeared.

So who is keeping the fight alive Not one group alone. It is a network strained, imperfect, sometimes inconsistent but still standing. The real question now is not just who is fighting, but how long the world is willing to keep paying attention.

 Dibang Mary Akike is an Investigative Journalist based in Ibadan