The COVID-19 pandemic is not over yet. Although the number of global cases has shown a decline, this does not mean that the world is free from COVID-19.
Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the COVID-19 pandemic was still not over. The end of this pandemic still cannot be reached if tens of millions of people still die from COVID-19, even though the virus can be prevented and treated.
“So when will (the COVID-19 pandemic) end? Does it end now? That’s one of the main questions being asked,” Tedros said at the 2022 Munich Security Conference.
“Indeed, the high vaccination coverage in some countries, combined with the lower Omicron severity rates are driving the dangerous narrative that the pandemic is over.”
“But, no, not when 70,000 people a week die from preventable and treatable diseases. Not when 83 percent of Africa’s population has not received a single dose of vaccine.”
According to Tedros, the pandemic cannot end if the health care system is still burdened with COVID-19 cases. In addition, the pandemic will still exist if this highly contagious virus can still spread and be difficult to control.
Tedros said the fact that the current state of the pandemic was still worrying. This condition is ideal for the emergence of a more infectious and more dangerous Corona variant.
Even so, Tedros said that the health emergency period for the COVID-19 pandemic could be lifted this year. One of the reasons is the availability of tools, in this case vaccines.
“But we can end the pandemic as a global health emergency this year. We have the tools, we have the knowledge.”
(star/naf)
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