'In last week, 63,377 people lost lives to COVID-19': WHO top official
Premium- This should not be happening when we have public health tools that can reduce the spread, the official says
Pointing out at global data, World Health Organisation officials on Tuesday said that the increase in the number of COVID-related fatalities is quite concerning. This should not be happening when we have public health tools that can reduce the spread & tools (diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines) that can save lives now, said Maria Van Kerkhove, Infectious Disease Epidemiologist; COVID-19 Technical Lead at WHO. Echoing similar views, WHO chief also warned while the new Covid variant is known to be milder, we are now starting to see a very worrying increase in deaths in most regions of the world.
In the last week, >63,377 people lost their lives to COVID19. While some may ready to move on from this pandemic, >63,377 people cannot, nor can the more than 5.6 million who have died, nor can their families who are grieving, she mentioned in a tweet.
Charting the course for the future
We need to work together to end the emergency of this pandemic for everyone, everywhere. Right now, we can increase #COVID19 vaccination coverage and protect the most vulnerable from dying in all countries, while at the same time reduce the spread with mask wearing, distancing, she said in a tweet.
... staying home if unwell, investing and improving surveillance, testing, ventilation, clinical care, IPC, ppt, supporting our health and care work force, addressing misinformation, engaging people and communes and enabling them to protect themselves, she added.
…I know everyone wants to get back to “normal"… but this level of intense circulation and death is not “normal." It not a global situation that should be accepted nor tolerated when we have the tools to change the course of this pandemic…, she also added.
…I and my colleagues do not accept this and we at WHO will continue to work with countries to end this emergency, to save as many lives and livelihoods as we can… so that we can move forward together, hopefully better prepared for future threats. Thank you for playing your part.
Many countries have not yet reached Omicron peak:
Further sounding a warning, Kerkhove pointed out during an online briefing, many countries have not reached their Omicron peak yet, and hence, curbs should be eased more slowly.
"We are urging caution because many countries have not gone through the peak of Omicron yet. Many countries have low levels of vaccination coverage with very vulnerable individuals within their populations," Maria Van Kerkhove told an online briefing.
"And so now is not the time to lift everything all at once. We have always urged, always (be) very cautious, in applying interventions as well as lifting those interventions in a steady and in a slow way, piece by piece. Because this virus is is quite dynamic," she added.
Virus is dangerous:
Similarly, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters it is too early for countries to either declare victory over Covid-19 or give up attempts to halt transmission. "This virus is dangerous, and it continues to evolve before our very eyes."
His comment came as Denmark on Tuesday became the first EU country to lift all of its domestic Covid curbs despite record numbers of cases of the milder Omicron variant, with a number of other countries eying similar moves.
"We're concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines and because of Omicron's high transmissibility and lower severity, preventing transmission is no longer possible, and no longer necessary," Tedros said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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