The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) will continue to linger in the planet for a long time, World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Wednesday.
“Make no mistake we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time,” Tedros said adding that some countries that thought they had managed to control transmission saw a resurgence on number of cases.
“Most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics and some that were affected early in the pandemic are starting to see a resurgence in cases,” he added.
Tedros said the virus is still dangerous despite the strict social distancing measures enacted by many countries. He added that most of the world’s population remains susceptible meaning the outbreaks can reignite or reoccur.
“People in countries with stay-at-home orders are understandably frustrated with being confined to their homes for weeks on end. People understandably want to get on with their lives,” he said. “But the world will not and can not go back to the way things were. There must be a new normal.”
He also expressed concern on upward trend of cases in parts of Africa as well as central and south America, Reuters reported.
The global death toll has passed 175,000, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP, while the virus has afflicted 2.5 million people since it first emerged in China in December 2019.
Tedros said, “there are still many gaps in the world’s defenses and no single country has everything in place.”
He said the WHO will continue working with countries and the international community to close these gaps and build sustainable capacities for now and the future.
Meanwhile, he also hoped that the US government will reconsider its decision to halt its funding and insisted that the agency declared a global health emergency at the right time.
The WHO declared the COVID-19 pandemic as a public health emergency of international concern on March 11, prompting governments to declare draconian measures to contain the outbreak including nationwide lockdowns.
“I hope the freeze of the funding will be reconsidered and the US will once again support WHO’s work and continue to save lives. I hope the US believes that this an important investment, not just to help others but for the US to stay safe also” Tedros said.
US President Donald Trump accused the UN health body of cover-up and failing to handle the pandemic.
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