Covid pandemic not over yet, 110 nations report resurge: WHO

The COVID-19 pandemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), is changing but is not yet gone, and more cases are being reported in 110 countries.

“This pandemic is changing but it’s not over. Our ability to track the #COVID19 virus is under threat as reporting and genomic sequences are declining meaning it is becoming harder to track Omicron and analyse future emerging variants,” Director-General of WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. He further added, “COVID19, driven by BA.4 and BA.5 in many places, cases are on the rise in 110 countries, causing overall global cases to increase by 20 per cent and deaths have risen in 3 of the 6 WHO regions even as the global figure remains relatively stable.”

During a media conference on COVID-19 and other topics relating to global health, Ghebreyesus stated that the WHO has urged all nations to immunise at least 70% of their populace.

He said that over 12 billion immunizations had been distributed worldwide in the last 18 months.

“On the flip side, hundreds of millions of people, including tens of millions of health workers and older people in lower-income countries remain unvaccinated, which means they are more vulnerable to future waves of the virus,” the WHO chief said.

“With only 58 countries hitting the 70 per cent target, some have said it’s not possible for low-income countries to make it,” he said.

Ghebreyesus used Rwanda as an example, where second dose immunisation rates are currently at or above 65% and continuing to rise. The head of the WHO emphasised the need of maintaining immunisation rates among the populations who are most at risk.

Although monkeypox is now not a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, DG Ghebreyesus had stated that the emergency nature of the occurrence required strong response measures.

Taking to Twitter, DG Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote, “While the Emergency Committee didn’t advise that the #monkeypox outbreak represents a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, they acknowledged the emergency nature of the event requiring intense response efforts.”

“They advised that I should reconvene them quickly based on the evolving situation, which I will do,” he added.

“They advised that I should reconvene them quickly based on the evolving situation, which I will do,” he added.
While expressing concerns over the sustained transmission of the virus the DG said that the children and pregnant women are at a high risk of catching the infection.

“I am concerned about sustained transmission because it would suggest that the virus is establishing itself and it could move into high-risk groups including children, the immunocompromised and pregnant women,” WHO tweeted quoting DG Ghebreyesus.

He added that since 2017, Nigeria has been dealing with an outbreak of monkeypox. The nation has recorded more instances this year, which might indicate that the number meets or surpasses earlier peaks.

More than 50 nations have already confirmed cases of monkeypox, and the trend is expected to continue.