[ad_1]
GENEVA – Recent progress on COVID-19 vaccines is positive, but the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern that this has led to a growing perception that the pandemic has come to an end, said Friday the WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Britain approved Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, raising hopes that the tide may soon turn against a virus that has killed nearly 1.5 million people worldwide, hit the global economy and it has changed normal life by billions.
“Progress in vaccines helps us all and now we can begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, WHO is concerned that there is a growing perception that the COVID-19 pandemic is over, ”he said.
FILE PHOTO: An employee opens an ultra-cold refrigerator filled with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines at a secret storage facility in the Rhein-Main area, Germany, on December 4, 2020. REUTERS / Ralph Orlowski / File Photo
Tedros said that the pandemic still has a long way to go and that decisions made by citizens and governments will determine its course in the short term and when the pandemic will end.
“We know that it has been a difficult year and that people are tired, but in hospitals that are operating at peak or above capacity, it is the hardest thing that can be,” he said.
“The truth is that many places today are witnessing very high transmission of the COVID-19 virus, which is putting enormous pressure on hospitals, intensive care units and healthcare workers.”
The virus emerged in Wuhan, China, a year ago since it was reported that more than 65 million people are infected with the new coronavirus globally and 1.5 million have died.
Two promising vaccines could soon receive emergency use authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration, and some 20 million Americans could be vaccinated this year, helping stem the tide of the virus in the country further. affected of the world.
However, WHO’s top emergency expert Mike Ryan also warned against complacency following the vaccine launch, saying that while they were an important part of the battle against COVID-19, the vaccines would not end by yes alone with the pandemic.
“Vaccines do not equal zero COVID,” he said.
Ryan said that some countries would have to maintain very strong control measures for some time in the future or they would risk a “blowout” in cases, and a yo-yo of the pandemic.
“We are at a crucial moment in some countries. There are health systems in some countries on the brink of collapse, ”he said, without referring to specific countries.
For more news on the new coronavirus, click here.
What you need to know about the coronavirus.
For more information on COVID-19, call the DOH hotline: (02) 86517800 local 1149/1150.
The Inquirer Foundation supports our leaders in healthcare and still accepts cash donations to be deposited into the Banco de Oro (BDO) checking account # 007960018860 or donate through PayMaya using this link .
Read next
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
