Today marks two years since the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

Since then, more than 6 million people worldwide have died directly because of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Researchers estimate in a new study that the global pandemic death toll is actually three times higher than that figure.

The long-lasting impact on many people's mental and physical health is yet to be fully measured. And the effects of the virus, the lingering COVID symptoms that many people are experiencing, or its impact on the brain and body are still being investigated by scientists.

News 12's Rich Barrabi was joined by Dr. Chris Pernell to talk about what's the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.