Coronavirus: WHO stresses need for quick action amid reports of fresh outbreaks

23 Août 2020

Geneva, Switzerland, August 23(Infosplusgabon) - With several countries experiencing fresh COVID-19 outbreaks after periods of little or no transmission, the World Health Organization (WHO) Friday highlighted the need for authorities to be able to move quickly to prevent further spread of the disease.

These nations provide a cautionary tale because they show how “progress does not mean victory”, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in his latest update on the crisis.

“That’s why it’s vital that countries are able to quickly identify and prevent clusters, to prevent community transmission and the possibility of new restrictions,” he told journalists.

A UN statement said globally, there were more than 22 million cases of COVID-19, and 780,000 deaths. Meanwhile, the number of people requiring hospitalization remains high, the WHO chief reported.

“No country can just ride this out until we have a vaccine,” he warned.

“A vaccine will be a vital tool, and we hope that we will have one as soon as possible. But there’s no guarantee that we will, and even if we do have a vaccine, it won’t end the pandemic on its own.”

Dr. Tedros underlined WHO’s commitment to countries as they work towards the safe re-opening of their economies, societies, schools and businesses.

The WHO chief also expressed hope that the COVID-19 pandemic would be defeated in under two years, or less time than it took to end the Spanish Flu pandemic, through global solidarity and the use of vaccines.

Dr. Tedros was responding to a journalist’s question about similarities between the two crises.

The 1918 influenza pandemic lasted from February 1918 to April 1920.

Dr. Tedros pointed out that while the “disadvantage” of globalization meant the new coronavirus could spread faster, people today had the “advantage” of technology and knowledge.

“So, we hope to finish this pandemic before less than two years, especially if we can pool our efforts together, and with national unity, global solidarity – that’s really key – with utilising the available tools to the maximum and hoping that we can have additional tools like vaccines, I think we can finish it in a shorter time than the 1918 flu,” he said.

Corruption that deprives frontline health workers of personal protective equipment (PPE) is “murder”, Dr. Tedros unequivocally stated on Friday.

He was responding to a journalist’s question about health professionals in some nations going on strike because they lacked appropriate PPE, amid reports of government corruption related to COVID-19 funds.

“Any level of corruption is unacceptable, or any type of corruption is unacceptable. However, corruption related to PPE, lifesaving, for me it’s actually murder,” he said.

“Because if health workers work without PPE, we are risking their lives. And that also risks the lives of the people they serve. So, it’s criminal, and it’s a murder, and it has to stop if it is happening anywhere.”

Speaking earlier in the briefing, WHO’s Dr. Michael Ryan highlighted how the pandemic had shown both the best and worst of humanity.

“Certainly, corruption is something that is not new to this world. And at this point, it’s really, really, important that governments govern and that we see very clear, transparent action by governments,” he said.

The statement said WHO and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) were set to issue guidance on the use of masks by children.

The UN agencies will provide advice for public health officials, child health professionals, educators and others about making the decision on where and when masks should be worn.

Dr. Maria van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist and WHO lead on COVID-19, said research continued into how the disease affected children as understanding about virus transmission among this population was limited.

Although children of all ages can be infected, the majority tend to develop mild disease. However, children have developed severe disease, and some have died.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/AGF/GABON2020

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