How to deal with ‘long Covid’ risk, WHO tells

“We can invest in the public health systems we need now and for the future,” said the WHO epidemiologist.

Kerkhove, one of the WHO’s top experts on COVID-19, listed five factors that continue to drive COVID-19 transmission globally:

– Continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 resulting in more transmissible variants and immune evasion variants

– Unequal access to life-saving equipment including PPE, diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines (#VaccinEquity)

– Combined with increased social mobility and social mixing

– Inappropriate and inconsistent use of proven public health and social measures (masks, distancing, ventilation, hand hygiene…)

– Misinformation, propaganda, conflicting messages, politicization and false narratives

Earlier, the WHO chief said that 90 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported since the omicron variant was first identified 10 weeks ago – more than in 2020, the first year of the pandemic.

With many countries easing their restrictive measures amid public fatigue about them, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that Omicron should not be underestimated, even if it is a less severe disease than earlier variants. have been shown to bring – and cited “a very worrying increase in deaths”. in most areas of the world.”

“We are concerned that a narrative has taken hold in some countries that because of vaccines – and because of the high transmissibility and low severity of Omicron – preventing transmission is no longer possible and no longer necessary,” he said in a regular on the pandemic. Told at WHO briefing.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. It is premature for any country to surrender or declare victory. This virus is dangerous and it keeps evolving before our eyes,” Tedros said.

The WHO said there was an increasing trend of deaths in four of its six regions around the world.

Several European countries, including Britain, France, Ireland and the Netherlands, have started easing lockdown measures. Finland will end its COVID-19 restrictions this month.