Can't pretend COVID-19 is gone: WHO chief on rising cases
In a fresh warning against rising COVID-19 cases worldwide, the chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said, "we cannot pretend it's not there." The comment by Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus comes at a time when the world has witnessed a 35% rise in COVID-19-related deaths in four weeks. Globally, there have been 59 crore cases so far, with the USA reporting the bulk.
Why does this story matter?
Three brutal waves of COVID-19, which was first reported in November 2019 and soon brought the world to a halt, have resulted in 64 lakh deaths worldwide. However, studies say that 94 lakh more people (than the official count) died between January 2020-December 2021. Over three waves, the world has reported more than 59 crore confirmed cases of the virus across 228 countries.
'Living with COVID-19 does not mean…'
With cases coming down but not stopping, citizens worldwide are learning to live with COVID-19 and make it a part of their lives. But learning to live with COVID-19 should not mean that we "pretend it's not there," Dr. Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday. "We're tired of the virus and tired of the pandemic. But the virus is not tired of us," he added.
What did Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus say?
The WHO chief said that 35% more deaths have been reported in the last four weeks, with 15,000 dying last week. "15,000 deaths a week is completely unacceptable when we have all the tools to prevent infections and safe lives," he added. Dr. Ghebreyesus reiterated that learning to live with COVID-19 means using the tools we have to protect ourselves.
Here's what the WHO chief tweeted
COVID-19 cases may rise in winters
With winters inching closer and people spending more time indoors, there's more risk of intense transmission and hospitalization. As per the WHO chief, citizens worldwide must get vaccinated and take booster shots if necessary to prevent any illness. "Wear a mask when you can't distance, and avoid crowds, especially indoors," Dr. Ghebereyusus said. He added, "We cannot live with mounting hospitalizations and deaths."
COVID-19 cases in India
India has reported more than 12,000 cases of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The total number of cases in India stands at 4.42 crore. With 72 more deaths, the total COVID-19 death toll now stands at 5.27 lakhs. India currently has the second highest number of cases worldwide.
