As of late August 2026, sustained moderate global public health risk assessments from the WHO reflect SARS-CoV-2's transition to endemic circulation rather than pandemic conditions, with ongoing but declining case and death reports alongside widespread population immunity from prior infections and updated vaccines. Dominant variants such as NB.1.8.1 show no evidence of enhanced virulence or immune escape sufficient to trigger a new Public Health Emergency of International Concern, consistent with CDC and WHO surveillance data indicating seasonal respiratory activity levels. New forecast model runs and variant tracking through summer 2026 reinforce this stability, though continued evolution in animal reservoirs or an unexpected highly transmissible strain could still shift thresholds for official pandemic designation before year-end.