Tedros’s decision to obey advice given at the latest CoronavirusEmergency Committee Meeting Last Friday, held at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva via videoconference.
“There is little doubt that this virus will remain a permanently established pathogen in humans and animals in the near future,” the commission said.
It has been three years to the week since COVID-19 was declared a public health emergency of international concern. The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) was first reported in Wuhan, China, on December 31, 2019.
Still an assassin
Although the world is in a better position than it was a year ago, as Omicron infections increase, more than 170,000 COVID-19-related deaths have been reported globally, the WHO director-general said. only in the last 8 weeks.
Tedros noted again that Surveillance and genetic sequencing of the coronavirus has fallen globallymaking it more difficult to track known variants and detect new ones.
He warned that health systems continue to struggle to treat large numbers of COVID-19 patients and others with flu and respiratory infections, amid staff shortages and exhausted healthcare workers. strength.
The value of vaccines
The head of the UN health agency also stressed that vaccines, treatments and diagnostics remain crucial in preventing serious disease, saving lives and relieving strain on health systems. and healthcare workers globally.
Despite their proven value, Tedros says the response to COVID-19 remains “awkward” in too many countries that are unable to provide these tools to the populations most in need, the elderly and healthcare staff.
Globally, there are more than 752.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 6.8 million deaths, report to the WHO coronavirus panel.
At the WHO Emergency COVID Committee meeting, participants heard that globally, 13.1 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have now been used, with 89% of healthcare workers and 81% older adults (over 60 years of age) who have completed the primary series of vaccines. .
Committee members expressed concern about insufficient vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries, as well as among the most at-risk groups globally, and the associated uncertainty. regarding emerging variants.
‘Pandemic fatigue’
They also realize that “pandemic fatigue” and an impression of reduced risk “have led to a significant reduction in the use of social and public health measuressuch as masks and social distancing.”
Among its recommendations, the UN health body called on countries to remain vigilant and continue to report surveillance and genome sequencing data to WHO.
“appropriately targeted” public health and social measures should also be taken as needed and the most vulnerable communities should be vaccinated to reduce severe illness and death, the WHO meeting said.
Answering people’s concerns about COVID-19 remains key to improving why it’s important to take precautions to stop the coronavirus, the UN health agency said. so important.
The Emergency Committee explained that although the Omicron variants circulating globally are still highly transmissible, infection no longer means serious disease will occur, when compared to the past. worrying coronavirus variants.
