World Health Organization (WHO) emergencies chief Dr Michael Ryan told a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland on Tuesday that the number of Covid-19 cases worldwide has jumped. 30% over the past two weeks; an increase mainly fueled, according to him, by the sub-variants of Omicron BA.4 and BA.5.
In the same vein, the head of the WHO, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesusa added by declaring that “the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over” and that the observation of barrier measures should be continued. “So that the virus makes a breakthrough, we must push it back,” he insisted.
He called on governments to roll out tried and tested measures like mask-wearing, improved ventilation, and testing and treatment protocols as hospitalizations and transmission of Covid-19 surge.
In his words, « the virus continues to circulate freely, and states are not effectively distributing the burden of the disease according to their capacities, both for hospitalizations for severe cases and for the growing number of people in a post-Covid state, often called long Covid”.
In addition, the WHO has declared the Covid-19 pandemic a “public health emergency of international concern”, based on the results of a recent meeting of the Covid-19 Emergency Committee. This is the highest level of alert of the UN body.
By OMA Newsletter N° 777 of 13/07/2022
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
