No Matter How Much We Wish It Away, COVID-19 Pandemic Is Not Over: WHO
According to the agency, there were more than 12 million new weekly cases and just under 33,000 deaths, a 23 per cent drop in the death toll
Mumbai: The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday that the world will continue to grapple with rising COVID-19 infections and their emerging forms until all countries are covered by high immunization.
“We all want to get ahead of the pandemic. But no matter how far we get from it, this pandemic is not over. Until we reach high vaccination coverage in all countries, we will continue to face the risk of infections surging and new variants emerging that evade,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The WHO had earlier said that the number of new coronavirus cases globally rose 7 per cent last week due to rising infections in the western Pacific, even as deaths from Covid-19 declined.
“The global increase in COVID-19 cases continues, driven by large outbreaks in Asia and a fresh wave in Europe. Many countries are now seeing their highest death rates since the start of the pandemic. This reflects the speed with which omicrons spread, and the increased risk of death for those who have not been vaccinated, especially for older people,” Ghebreyesus said.
The head of the UN health agency also said the WHO aims to vaccinate 70 per cent of every country’s population by the middle of this year, with priority being given to healthcare workers, older people and other at-risk groups.
According to the agency, there were more than 12 million new weekly cases and just under 33,000 deaths, a 23 per cent drop in the death toll.
Confirmed cases of the virus had been falling steadily around the world since January, but rose again last week, due to a more contagious Omron variant and suspension of COVID-19 protocols in many countries in Europe, North America and other countries.
Health officials have said repeatedly that Omicron causes milder illness than previous versions of the coronavirus and that vaccination, including a booster, appears to be highly protective.
Health officials have said repeatedly that Omicron causes milder illness than previous versions of the coronavirus and that vaccination, including a booster, appears to be highly protective.
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