Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief executive of the (WHO) said that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief executive of the (WHO) said that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over

According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief executive of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over,. Despite numerous precautions, this pandemic is not over, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is quoted in a report as saying.

In addition, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed concern regarding low vaccination rates in some countries and stated that it would be misleading to assume the fast-spreading Omicron strain is risk-free.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted,  ” Omicron continues to sweep the world. I remained concerned about countries with low vaccination rates. Those unvaccinated are many times more likely to contract severe illnesses and die, ”  he said.

I encourage everyone to reduce the risk of infection and assist in relieving the pressure on healthcare systems, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

Infection caused by Omicron not mild

Former Nobel Laureate Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that we should not ignore the severity of the new form of Omicron infection.

Since it was first found in southern Africa in November, the Omicron variant of Coronavirus has spread like wildfire around the globe. Even though this strain is more contagious than previous strains, it seems to cause less serious disease than previous strains.

Omicron cases have increased exponentially across the globe, according to the WHO. The WHO has warned that the sheer number of people infected will mean many are still falling seriously ill and dying as a result.

It is still misleading to describe Micron as a mild disease, even though it is less severe than most, Tedros said.

Various studies have shown that Omicron causes hospitalisations and deaths, and even the less severe cases are overwhelming health facilities, Tedros was quoted as saying.

‘There is no time to give up

Some reports indicate that the surge in Covid cases fueled by Omicron may have peaked in some countries, Tedros said. ‘If you wave the white flag now, you’re telling yourself it’s too late.’ He said.

It is crucial to remove the pressure building up on health systems, especially in countries that have still low vaccination coverage, according to Tedros.

It is still possible to significantly reduce the impact of the current wave by sharing and using health tools effectively, as well as implementing public health and social measures that work. ”  Tedros stated.

There are 45,000 Covid deaths every week

Registries indicate that approximately 45,000 deaths are still occurring from this disease globally every week, according to Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for Covid at the World Health Organization.

Considering the tools that are available, the journalist maintains that it should not be happening.

As far as existing Covid vaccines are concerned, there is no evidence they are as effective in protecting against Omicron as they were against previous strains.

Some pharmaceutical companies are creating vaccines that are more effective at targeting the variant, but WHO said that approach is not necessarily the solution.

According to her,  ” a better approach might be to create  ” multivalent vaccines, or ideally, create a vaccine that prevents all four types of Coronaviruses. “

The WHO emphasized that in the meantime, the existing vaccines still are effective at protecting against developing severe Covid disease, while reminding us that ensuring broader, more equitable access to vaccination is essential.

(Based on input from AFP) 

 ” Covid-19 is not over yet, ”  World Health Organization director-general Margaret Chan said Tuesday, warning against a narrative suggesting the easy-to-conjure Omicron variant is a sincere risk reduction.

From a press conference held at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said,  ” This pandemic is nowhere near over. “

In November, the coronavirus variant Omicron was first found in southern Africa; since it was detected, it has spread like wildfire around the globe. According to the head of the UN organization, this variant should not be dismissed as mild.

In contrast to previous strains, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 seems to cause less serious disease, though it is far more contagious.

In response, debate arose as to whether the virus was on the verge of passing from the pandemic phase to becoming an endemic disease that humanity can live with — with the implication that the danger has passed.

Yet the WHO warns that due to the sheer number of people infected, there will still be many people falling seriously ill and dying.

A misleading narrative

As a result of an exponential increase in cases regardless of the severity of variants, hospitalizations and deaths are certain to rise, WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan stated at Tuesday’s press conference.

Tedros agreed with this.

In general, Omicron may be less severe than other diseases, but a narrative portraying it as a mild condition is misleading.

You must not misunderstand: Omicron can cause hospitalizations and death, and even the less severe cases overwhelm a hospital’s health facilities. “

He noted that the peak in Covid cases may have been reached in some countries due to the Omicron-fueled surge.

He added that this  ” gives hope that the worst of the latest wave is over, but no country is completely out of the woods yet. “

It is crucial to remove the pressure building up on health systems, especially in countries that have still low vaccination coverage, according to Tedros.

The time for surrendering and raising the white flag is not now.

By implementing public health and social measures that work, and sharing and using health tools effectively, we still have a chance to significantly reduce the impact of the current wave.

Covid deaths are 45,000 per week

Covid’s technical lead at the WHO, Maria Van Kerkhove, echoed this viewpoint, noting that there are still 45,000 deaths attributed to the disease worldwide every week.

Considering the tools that are available, the journalist maintains that it should not be happening.

As far as existing Covid vaccines are concerned, there is no evidence they are as effective in protecting against Omicron as they were against previous strains.

A few pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines that target the variant more effectively, but WHO pointed out that may not be the best approach to solving the problem.

While variant-specific vaccines might seem attractive, WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan warned that since such vaccines take months to develop,  ” the danger is that you could be always playing catch-up with the next variant. “

According to her, a better approach might be to create  ” multivalent vaccines, or ideally, create a vaccine that prevents all four types of Coronaviruses. “

The WHO emphasized that in the meantime, the existing vaccines still are effective at protecting against developing severe Covid disease, while reminding us that ensuring broader, more equitable access to vaccination is essential.

According to Tedros, vaccines may be less effective as a preventative measure against Omicron infections and transmissions than they were against previous variants, but they are still very effective at preventing serious diseases like AIDS.

Allowing Covid to spread unabated in some places, health experts warn, will drastically increase the possibility of new, more dangerous variants emerging.

New versions of Omicron are likely to emerge with the tremendous growth of the product globally, ”  Tedros warned.

edited and proofread by nikita sharma