GENEVA: The World Health Organization’s top emergency expert, asked on Thursday about conflicting comments by President Donald Trump and US health officials on Covid-19, said it was important for all countries to have “consistent messages” for their audience.
Trump on Wednesday objected to comments from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, who said a vaccine could be widely deployed by mid-2021 and masks could be more effective.
Trump, at a press conference, said he believed a vaccine would be released much earlier. He said he called Redfield after his testimony to question him about it, and that Redfield appeared to have been confused by the question.
“It is important that we have consistent messages from all levels, and it is not for one country or one entity; consistent messages between science and government,” said Mike Ryan of the WHO in response to a question about the exchange.
The science around the coronavirus was “somewhat complicated,” with data and new evidence evolving, Ryan said. “So it is not easy and it is not easy for everyone to be on top of the messages all the time.”
“The important thing is that governments, scientific institutions, take a step back, review the evidence and provide the most complete information, easy to understand and digest so that people can take the appropriate measures.”
Ryan, a veteran of Africa’s Ebola outbreaks and other epidemics, said authorities must engage with communities to address anxieties.
“It is to understand the confusion, it is to understand their concern, it is to understand their apprehension. And not to laugh at it and not turn that into a kind of political football,” he added.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19, said she recommended a comprehensive package of measures including physical distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.
Trump on Wednesday objected to comments from US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield, who said a vaccine could be widely deployed by mid-2021 and masks could be more effective.
Trump, at a press conference, said he believed a vaccine would be released much earlier. He said he called Redfield after his testimony to question him about it, and that Redfield appeared to have been confused by the question.
“It is important that we have consistent messages from all levels, and it is not for one country or one entity; consistent messages between science and government,” said Mike Ryan of the WHO in response to a question about the exchange.
The science around the coronavirus was “somewhat complicated,” with data and new evidence evolving, Ryan said. “So it is not easy and it is not easy for everyone to be on top of the messages all the time.”
“The important thing is that governments, scientific institutions, take a step back, review the evidence and provide the most complete information, easy to understand and digest so that people can take the appropriate measures.”
Ryan, a veteran of Africa’s Ebola outbreaks and other epidemics, said authorities must engage with communities to address anxieties.
“It is to understand the confusion, it is to understand their concern, it is to understand their apprehension. And not to laugh at it and not turn that into a kind of political football,” he added.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19, said she recommended a comprehensive package of measures including physical distancing to prevent the spread of the virus.
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