Is the Pandemic ‘Over’? Biden Says So, But Scientists Say That’s Up for Debate

In a surprise moment in a “60 Minutes” interview, President Joe Biden said the COVID-19 pandemic “is over.” While he correctly acknowledged that the coronavirus was still a problem, epidemiologists say there’s no single agreed-upon definition for what constitutes the end of a pandemic — and some say we’re not there yet.

In the U.S., around 400 people a day have died of COVID-19 during the first half of September, according to statistics reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Biden made his remarks at the Detroit Auto Show in response to CBS’ Scott Pelley, who asked whether the pandemic was over after noting it was the first time in three years the auto show was being held.

“The pandemic is over,” Biden said in the interview, which aired on Sept. 18. “We still have a problem with COVID, we’re still doing a lot of work on it, but the pandemic is over.”

“If you notice, no one’s wearing masks, everybody seems to be in pretty good shape,” Biden continued, as the two walked through the convention center. “And so I think it’s changing. And I think this is a perfect example of it.”

Epidemiologists agree that the pandemic is no longer as dire as it once was, given access to life-saving vaccines, improved treatments and a population that in large measure has already been infected at least once. But the death toll, while lower than before, is still relatively high — and it’s unclear what the future may bring.