Covid in the world, “the risk of even more transmissible and more dangerous variants remains“This is the warning launched by the director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during the periodic briefing with the press.” We are witnessing a welcome decline in Covid deaths reported globally. However, as cold weather approaches in the Northern Hemisphere, it is reasonable expect an increase in hospitalizations and deaths in the coming months“.
“In the meantime – he notes – vaccination coverage among the people most at risk remains too low, especially in low-income countries. But even in high-income countries, 30% of health workers and 20% of elderly people remain unvaccinated. These vaccination gaps represent a risk for all of us “, warns the WHO DG, who invites those who have not yet done so to get vaccinated. For the vaccinated, the message is to reduce the risk of contagion by avoiding crowded situations if possible, and in closed and crowded places by wearing masks and opening windows. Finally continuing to wash your hands. “Living with Covid-19 – concludes the DG – does not mean pretending that the pandemic is over. If you walk in the rain without an umbrella, pretending that it is not raining will not help. It will get wet anyway. In the same way, pretending that a virus deadly is not circulating is a huge risk “.
TODAY’S DATA – Worldwide the number of weekly Covid cases decreased by 16% during the last week (22-28 August) compared to the previous week, with over 4.5 million new cases reported according to the Covid epidemiological week update- 19 of the WHO, published today. The number of new deaths per week is also down compared to the previous week, with over 13,500 deaths reported, according to the bulletin. According to the WHO, in total, as of August 28, 2022, more than 598 million confirmed cases and over 6.4 million deaths have been reported globally.
POISON OF MONKEYS – “We could live with Covid for the foreseeable future. But we don’t have to live with monkeypox” says the WHO director general. “This virus can be eliminated”. But, he warns him, “it won’t just happen.” Today the epidemiological situation shows that the region of the Americas accounts for “more than half of the reported cases. Several countries continue to see an increasing number of infections, although it is encouraging to see a sustained downward trend in Canada”. There are positive signs, explains the DG. “Some European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, are also seeing a clear slowdown in the monkeypox outbreak,” demonstrating the effectiveness of public health interventions and community commitment to monitoring infections and preventing transmission”.
These signs, continues the director general of the UN health agency, “confirm what we have consistently affirmed since the beginning: that with the right measures this is an outbreak that can be stopped. And in regions that do not have the Animal-to-human transmission, this is a virus that can be eliminated. It won’t just happen. To eliminate monkeypox, three things are needed: evidence that it is possible, and now we are starting to see it; political will and commitment; and the implementation of public health measures in the communities that need them most. WHO will continue to support all countries to stop this outbreak and eliminate this virus. “