WHO alarmed by surge in infections
The World Health Organization on Monday voiced deep concerns over the surge of new cases of COVID-19 in Europe and the Americas while warning against complacency arising from good news on vaccine developments.
US biotech firm Moderna said on Monday its coronavirus vaccine is 94.5 percent effective based on preliminary data from a late-stage phase III trial.
It came a week after its competitor Pfizer likewise said its candidate vaccine is more than 90 percent effective.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that there has been encouraging news about COVID-19 vaccines, but “this is not the time for complacency”.
“Right now we are extremely concerned by the surge in COVID-19 cases we’re seeing in some countries,” he told a virtual news conference from Geneva, referring to Europe and the Americas where he said health workers and health systems are being pushed to the breaking point.
The US had reported more than 11 million cases and 247,229 deaths by early Tuesday, the highest in the world, according to data compiled by the Johns Hopkins University. Cases of COVID-19 had topped 55 million worldwide.
Tedros said that countries which have invested in COVID19 case finding, care and isolation, cluster investigations, adequate testing with rapid results, contact tracing, and supported quarantine are facing much less disruption.
“A laissez-faire attitude to the virus — not using the full range of tools available — leads to death, suffering and hurts livelihoods and economies,” he said.
The WHO chief noted that health workers on the front lines have been stretched for months.
Protection needed
“They are exhausted. We must do all we can to protect them, especially during this period when the virus is spiking and patients are filling hospital beds.”
Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, said many countries have controlled infections by using comprehensive measures.
“China is among those countries,” he said, while also adding the Republic of Korea, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand and Australia to the list.
He said their approaches are different and with different cultural settings.
“But what’s been common in their approach is the relentless focus on doing it all,” he said.
He added that those countries have mobilized community actions, testing, contact tracing, and quarantine to keep the virus at a very low level.
“We have been saying for months and months, (it’s) a comprehensive strategy aimed at controlling the virus, aimed at protecting the vulnerable, aimed at saving lives,” Ryan said.