The World Health Organization’s (WHO) pandemic response chief Dr Maria Van Kerkhove said Tuesday that the Wuhan coronavirus “is still with us,” warning that governments around the world are unprepared for the ongoing surge in infections.
“The virus is circulating in all countries. Data from our surveillance system across 84 countries shows that the proportion of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been increasing for several weeks,” Dr Van Kerkhove said. said At a press conference in Geneva, WHO said that SARS-CoV-2 is the official name of the coronavirus strain that causes Wuhan coronavirus disease, and that “stigma.”
Van Kerkhove added that despite testing efforts, at least 40 athletes have tested positive for the coronavirus or other respiratory illnesses at the Paris Olympics.
of The Washington Post on wednesday Contrasting There are big differences between the 2021 Tokyo Games, where spectators will be banned and participants will be required to take at least three coronavirus tests, and the 2024 Paris Games, where “people who test positive will compete, there will be no testing requirements and spectators will be allowed back in.”
“In terms of hospitalization rates, we’ve seen an increase in the Americas. We’ve seen an increase in Europe. We’ve also seen an increase in the Western Pacific in recent months,” Van Kerkhove said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The WHO has reported increasing cases in 35 countries, as well as wastewater surveillance data suggesting the total number of cases could be up to 20 times higher than reported.
Australian national swimming coach Dean Boxall looks on wearing a face mask ahead of an evening swimming session on the ninth day of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Paris La Defense Arena in Nanterre, France on August 4, 2024. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Release WHO introduced the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) in September 2020, and other countries have similar systems designed to detect SARS-CoV-2 in human waste. I believe Wastewater surveillance is an “effective approach to monitor the circulation of the virus at the community level.”
Van Kerkhove said he was “concerned” about the “alarming decline in vaccination rates” since the pandemic officially ended in May 2023, particularly among the “highest-risk groups”, which include health care workers and people over 60.
“When you have a more severe variant that is this widespread and has such limited transmission, the chances that at-risk people will develop severe disease are very high. That’s very likely in every country,” she said.
“Getting vaccinated with any of the approved vaccines will help prevent severe illness and death. It will lower your risk of severe illness. It will also lower your risk of developing post-COVID-19 symptoms,” she advised.
Scott Roberts, an infectious disease specialist at the Yale University School of Medicine, The Washington Post The new coronavirus identified in China “continues to baffle me as to its trajectory and how it seems to buck the trend of seasonal patterns of respiratory illnesses.”
Donald Dunford, M.D., infectious disease specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Akron said luck He said Wednesday that the best defense against a larger-than-expected “summer surge” was to return to health “basics.”
“Take care of your health, make sure you’re getting good nutrition, good sleep, and staying hydrated,” Dunford advised.
“Those who are traveling should consider wearing a well-fitting mask while in the airport and during the flight,” he added, noting that infected people often choose to “fly despite feeling sick” because they “had already planned their trip at great expense.”
