Some countries with rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreaks may have to reset blockages and other restrictions to slow the spread of the virus, a senior World Health Organization official said on Wednesday.
Countries like Spain and Italy managed to successfully delay serious outbreaks with a comprehensive public health strategy that mobilized the public, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. However, some countries have struggled to contain the virus and many still do not have the best systems to prevent another outbreak, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, director of the WHO’s zoonosis and emerging diseases unit.
“Some countries that have succeeded in suppressing the transmission that is now opening may have a setback, they may have to implement interventions again, they may have to implement these so-called blockades again,” he said at a news conference from the agency’s headquarters. in Geneva. “We hope not. We hope we don’t have to go into a general blockade again. So it’s not too late to act fast.”
Some of the countries that have responded most effectively to the pandemic have been countries with recent experience in managing outbreaks such as SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2013.
“They had first-hand experience of how dangerous a pathogen like this could be,” he said. While it didn’t specifically mention any specific country, SARS emerged in China and hit parts of Asia, including Hong Kong and Singapore. MERS mainly hit South Korea.
The outbreak in some countries may seem “overwhelming,” he said, urging national leaders to “break” the problem.
“It is not too late to turn it around. It is not too late to install the infrastructure, work on it and use it properly,” he said. “We have seen countries that have been in overwhelming situations that have changed this. It is not too late. It is not too late to use this comprehensive approach. WHO is here for every country in the world.”
Globally, the pandemic is still accelerating, Tedros said earlier in the briefing. He added that over the past week, more than 160,000 coronavirus infections have been confirmed worldwide every day. The virus has now infected more than 10.5 million people worldwide and has killed at least 512,331 people, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
He said countries should increase testing, build tracking infrastructure, encourage the public to wear masks and practice physical distancing, and continue to research drugs and vaccines.
“Countries that have adopted this comprehensive approach have suppressed transmission and saved lives,” he said. “Outbreaks are expected to occur as countries begin to lift restrictions, but countries that have systems in place to apply a comprehensive approach should be able to contain these outbreaks locally and avoid reintroducing widespread restrictions.”
Some countries may not have fully committed to their initial response to the coronavirus, he added, which will prolong the outbreak.
“However, we are concerned that some countries have not used all the tools at their disposal and have adopted a fragmented approach. These countries face a long and difficult road,” he said. “But one of the lessons of the pandemic is that no matter what situation a country is in, it can be changed. It is never too late.”
Those comments were not in “specific reference to any individual country,” said Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO emergency program.
The comments from the United Nations health agency come as the coronavirus outbreak in the United States continues to worsen. The country is now reporting nearly 40,000 new cases of coronavirus each day, almost double the approximately 22,800 in mid-May, largely due to outbreaks in various southern and western states. About 50% of all new cases come from four states: Florida, California, Texas and Arizona, White House health adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci told lawmakers Tuesday.
“We now have more than 40,000 new cases a day. I would not be surprised if we increase to 100,000 a day if this does not change, so I am very concerned,” he said at a hearing held by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. “I am very concerned and I am not satisfied with what is happening because we are going in the wrong direction if we look at the curves of the new cases, so we really have to do something about it and we have to do it quickly.”
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