Noting that even though it is extremely essential to learn to live with COVID, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief on Wednesday pointed out, “But we cannot live with 15,000 deaths a week.” Further hinting that COVID cases are likely to rise again, he said “We are tired of COVID, but the virus is not.”
“Learning to live with COVID19 does not mean we pretend it’s not there. It means we use the tools we have to protect ourselves, and protect others,” Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added.
Today none of us are helpless, “Get vaccinated if you are not, and if you need a booster, get one. Wear a mask when you can’t distance, and try to avoid crowds, especially indoor”
WHO chief said that COVID cases are likely to rise in coming months with colder weather approaching. “people spending more time indoors, the risks for more intense transmission and hospitalization will only increase in the coming months – not only for COVID19, but for other diseases including influenza”
Over the past four weeks, the reported COVID deaths globally have increased by 35%. Just in the past week, 15,000 people around the world lost their lives to COVID-19. “This is completely unacceptable, when we have all the tools to prevent infections and save lives”
He further asserted “We cannot live with mounting hospitalizations and deaths or inequitable access to vaccines and other tools.”
Tedros also said that currently, Omicron remains the dominant variant, with the BA.5 sub-variant representing more than 90% of sequences shared in the last month. “We’re all tired of this virus, and tired of the pandemic. But the virus is not tired of us.”
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