Without joint action, the number of Covid-19 victims could double to 2 million / Article / LSM.lv

WHO: Without joint action, the number of victims of Covid-19 could double to 2 millionRihards Plūme00:00 / 03:12

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Mike Ryan, the World Health Organisation’s emergency aid coordinator, told reporters in Geneva that the millions of Covid-19 victims were a terrible figure and that the situation needed to be rethought.

He warned that without joint action, the number of victims could double to 2 million.

“It sounds unthinkable, but it’s not impossible.” If we look at how many people we’ve lost in 9 months, and then we look at the real chances of getting the vaccine in the next 9 months. The question is: are we ready for multilateral action, for collective global action, to take control of this virus, not to control our destinies. If we are not ready, then yes, we will see 2 million and, unfortunately, even more.

All measures must be strictly and globally implemented – hygiene, wearing face masks, distance, testing, contact tracing, quarantine, and all this must be done at the same time, not separately, ”stressed Ryan.

On the positive side, doctors are increasingly adapting to the situation and are increasingly able to use everything at their disposal to help those infected. The pandemic has fueled global efforts to develop a vaccine to help defeat Covid-19. There is also talk of a fair and wide distribution of the upcoming vaccine.

Addressing the UN General Assembly remotely, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison emphasized that whoever found the vaccine had to share it, as it was a global and moral responsibility.

The prime minister acknowledged that some could see short-term benefits or even profits in selfishness, but humanity might not forgive.

Without a vaccine or effective treatment, social distancing and various restrictions remain how governments can limit the spread of the virus.

But large gatherings, such as at sporting events, are risky.

Nevertheless, the new Prime Minister of Japan, Josihide Suga, has emphasized in his address to the UN General Assembly that his country is committed to holding postponed Tokyo Olympics in 2021. This would serve as proof that the virus has been defeated.

However, with new Covid-19 outbreaks continuing in many parts of the world, there are fears that even next year’s Olympics will be possible.

The World Health Organization’s warning comes at a time when the number of people infected in the United States has exceeded 7 million.

Several European countries are also struggling with new waves of the virus. Spain extended quarantine in and around the capital, Madrid, from Monday, affecting 1 million people.

In the UK, the authorities have announced new restrictions affecting a quarter of the population.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, where it is also growing, residents of the capital are urged to stay at home to avoid infection.

France has also reported new records in terms of the number of people infected. There, on Thursday, for the first time, the number of people infected in one day exceeded 16,000.

CONTEXT:

About the new coronavirus spread China informed the World Health Organization (WHO) late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, home to 11 million people. World Health Organization in March 2020 announcedthat Covid-19 has reached the level of a global pandemic.

A few months later, in the summer, there was a decline in the spread of the infection in Europe, which led to the lifting of strict restrictions. However, in mid-September WHO warnedthat Europe will face an increase in Covid-19 coronavirus deaths in the autumn months.

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