WHO says coronavirus pandemic is not necessarily ‘the big one’

The World Health Organization has warned that the coronavirus pandemic ‘is not necessarily the largest’ and that a deadlier virus could still sweep the world.

Dr Mike Ryan, director of the WHO emergency program, said Tuesday that the pandemic was a “wake-up call.”

“This pandemic has been very severe… it has affected every corner of this planet. But this is not necessarily the biggest, ‘he said at a press conference.

‘This is a wake-up call. We are learning, now, how to do things better: science, logistics, training and governance, how to communicate better. But the planet is fragile.

‘We live in an increasingly complex global society. These threats will continue. If there is one thing we must take out of this pandemic, with all the tragedy and loss, it is that we must act together. We need to honor those we have lost by getting better at what we do every day. ‘

The World Health Organization has warned that the coronavirus pandemic ‘is not necessarily the largest’ and that a deadlier virus could still sweep the world. In the photo: People are tested for coronavirus in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday

Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the WHO emergency program, said the pandemic was a “wake-up call” and that areas such as science, governance and logistics needed to improve to face another global health crisis. In the photo: A nurse in Singapore receives a Covid-19 vaccine on Wednesday as the city-state began rolling out the drug.

Ryan also said that the virus is likely to remain a part of our lives despite the introduction of vaccines that have started rolling out in Europe and the United States.

“The likely scenario is that the virus becomes another endemic virus that will continue to be something of a threat, but a very low-level threat in the context of an effective global vaccination program.”

‘It remains to be seen how well vaccines are taken, how close we are to a level of coverage that could allow us the opportunity to go to elimination.

“The existence of a vaccine, even with high efficacy, is not a guarantee of eliminating or eradicating an infectious disease. That is a very high bar for us to overcome, ” he said.

Ryan said that is why the vaccine’s distribution is designed to save lives by protecting the most vulnerable, The Guardian reported.

“And then we will address the possibility that we can eliminate or eradicate this virus.”

At the WHO’s last press conference of the year on Tuesday, Dr. Mike Ryan, head of the agency’s emergency program, said vaccines are unlikely to completely eradicate Covid-19. [File photo]

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the end of the year was a good time to reflect on the death toll from the pandemic, as well as the progress made since it began earlier this year. In the picture: Tedros attends a session on the response to the Covid-19 outbreak in Geneva on October 5

Professor David Heymann, chair of the WHO strategic and technical advisory group for infectious hazards, said at the earlier briefing that the virus’s “destiny” was to become endemic.

“The world is hopeful of herd immunity, that somehow transmission would be reduced if enough people were immune,” Heymann told a news conference, before explaining that the concept of herd immunity was not understood.

‘Looks like the fate of SARS-CoV-2 [Covid-19] It will become endemic, like four other human coronaviruses, and will continue to mutate as it reproduces in human cells, especially in areas of more intense admission.

“Fortunately, we have tools to save lives, and these, in combination with good public health, will allow us to learn to live with Covid-19.”

Being vaccinated against the virus did not spell the end of social distancing and other public health measures, chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan said at the briefing on Tuesday.

“I don’t think we have the evidence for any of the vaccines to be sure that it will prevent people from contracting the infection and thus being able to transmit it.

Life in Wuhan, the Chinese city that was the original epicenter of the pandemic, has largely returned to normal due in part to a punishing 76-day lockdown. In the photo: Wuhan residents now enter on December 29

In other parts of Europe, restrictions have been reintroduced amid worrying increases in cases. In the picture: a closed store in the Netherlands, which entered another closure before Christmas

“So I think we have to assume that people who have been vaccinated must also take the same precautions,” Swaminathan said, adding that the vaccine is intended to prevent symptomatic diseases, as well as serious cases of infection and deaths.

At the global health body’s briefing, which was the last of the year, CEO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was a time to reflect on both the cost of the pandemic and the progress made.

He pointed to new variants of Covid-19 and pandemic fatigue as possible challenges to look forward to in the coming year.

‘New paths have been opened, especially with the extraordinary cooperation between the public and private sectors in this pandemic. And in recent weeks, the deployment of safe and effective vaccines has begun in several countries, which is an incredible scientific achievement, ”he said.

“This is fantastic, but WHO will not rest until those in need everywhere have access to the new vaccines and are protected.”