It is premature to consider the virus defeated, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva on Tuesday. Almost 90 million new infections have been reported since the omicron variant appeared about ten weeks ago – more than in all of 2020. “We are now seeing a very worrying increase in the number of deaths in most regions of the world.”
The WHO is concerned that some governments no longer feel it is necessary to further reduce the risk of infection through regulations such as wearing a mask or keeping your distance. This is justified by the fact that the vaccination rates are relatively high and Omikron infects a lot of people, but causes few serious illnesses. Tedros said that was completely wrong. “This virus is dangerous and it continues to change right before our eyes.”
However, countries with high vaccination rates and good health systems could soon be nearing the end of the acute phase of the pandemic, said WHO emergency coordinator Mike Ryan. But every government must consider its vaccination rate, the immunity of the population after infection and the strength of the health system. People who are particularly at risk should continue to wear masks – even if this is no longer mandatory.
Source: Nachrichten
