Three years into the coronavirus’s deadly spread, most governments have lifted restrictions, many people have returned to work, masks have been abandoned and social distancing has become a thing of the past. Pandemic fatigue, for many, has set in and in most parts of the world the perception is that life has returned to normal.

Yet public health experts have insisted that the pandemic is not over. Now they are keeping a close watch on how the surge in infections in China at the end December might impact the global spread of COVID-19.

Pandemic-weary journalists are having to cover other health stories including mpox, Ebola, polio, and measles outbreaks, while being challenged with finding new angles and hooks for the COVID-19 story. Some editors may feel the story is tired and are reluctant to take pitches from journalists. As a start, it is a good idea to continue keeping an eye on new infections and deaths from COVID-19 at a global level and a regional level to compare with what is happening in your own country.

In addition to the WHO’s COVID-19 dashboard, the COVID-19 section of the Our World In Data website is also an excellent resource.

As a journalist, do you want to pitch COVID stories, but they seem stale? This downloadable guide contains some ideas on topics to follow to keep the story on the news agenda.