The World Health Organization warned Thursday that it will not return to the “old normal” as the coronavirus pandemic accelerates in the United States and in the poorest developing countries.
Half of all Covid-19 cases reported so far are from the United States, Brazil and India, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference from the agency’s headquarters in Geneva. “It is completely understandable that people want to get on with their lives, but we will not go back to normal.”
The United States has the worst outbreak in the world with more than 3.8 million Covid-19 cases so far, according to WHO data. It is followed by Brazil with 2.1 million cases and India with 1.1 million cases, according to the WHO. There are more than 14 million cases worldwide.
Although cases are high in the US, Brazil and India, there is still a chance for a change, said Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s zoonoses and emerging diseases unit.
“It can be changed and there are tools that all countries have that can do that,” he said. “It takes tremendous will, it takes tremendous leadership and the work of all people to be part of the solution.”
The WHO recommends that people wear masks as a way to decrease the spread of the virus. Scientists say the virus can be spread through respiratory drops that are passed when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Studies suggest that masks can serve as a useful barrier to spreading infection.
The agency also recommends that people wash their hands regularly, keep their distance from others, and avoid going to crowded places. If you have a fever, cough and shortness of breath, seek medical attention, but call ahead if possible and follow the instructions of your local health authority, the WHO said.
Tedros urged world leaders and the public to make these “good decisions”, adding that decisions could be the “difference between the life and death of someone you love.” As long as the virus is circulating, everyone is at risk, he said.
“Just because the cases may be at a low level where you live, that doesn’t make it safe to let your guard down,” he said. “Don’t expect someone else to keep you safe. We all have a role to play in protecting ourselves and others.”
The comments come two days after President Donald Trump warned that the coronavirus pandemic in the United States is likely to “get worse before it gets better.” Now he urges Americans to wear masks to contain the outbreak after resisting them for months.
“We ask everyone, when they cannot socially distance themselves, to wear a mask,” he said Tuesday at a press conference at the White House. “Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact, they have an effect, and we need everything we can get.”
The United States reported 71,695 new cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, again surpassing 70,000 in a single day after four days of slightly lower numbers. The country’s total case count is rapidly approaching 4 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
Wednesday’s spike sent the seven-day average to a new all-time high of 67,429 new cases per day in the past seven days, an increase of more than 6% compared to last week, according to analysis of CNBC Hopkins data. . The seven-day average fell slightly for the first time in weeks on Tuesday, according to CNBC analysis.
On Wednesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, said the coronavirus is unlikely to be eradicated.
It is still possible that world leaders and public health officials are working to reduce the virus to “low levels,” the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases said during an interview with the TB Alliance.
Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO emergency program, echoed those comments Thursday. He said that the world has to find a way to work with the virus.
“We have to live with this virus. We will not be able to eliminate or eradicate this virus for the foreseeable future,” said Ryan.
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