After his agency reported that case counts and deaths worldwide fell over the past week, the World Health Organization’s director-general insisted Wednesday that “Covid isn’t finished with us,” pleading for more support to fight the pandemic.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned that “diseases know no borders” and that “any feeling of safety can change in a moment” as he launched a new $23 billion campaign to fund WHO’s efforts to lead a fair rollout of COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines around the world.
Case counts fell 17% globally over the last week, including a 50% drop in the United States, according to the WHO’s weekly epidemiological report, released late Tuesday. Deaths fell 7% globally.
“Depending on where you live, the COVID-19 pandemic may feel like it’s almost over, or it may feel like it’s at its peak, ” Tedros said. “However, COVID isn’t done with us yet, no matter where you live.”
“We know this virus will evolve further, but we are not helpless,” he added. “We have the tools to prevent, diagnose, and treat this disease.”
Omicron, which is more contagious than other variants but causes less severe disease, accounted for nearly 97 percent of all cases recorded by GISAID, an international virus-tracking platform. The delta variant accounted for just over 3% of the total.
Between January 31 and February 6, the WHO reported more than 19 million new COVID-19 cases and just under 68,000 new deaths. Experts believe the figures represent a significant underestimation of the true death toll.
Each of the WHO’s six regions saw a decrease in case counts, with the exception of the eastern Mediterranean zone, which saw a 36% increase, owing to increases in Afghanistan, Iran, and Jordan.
Even as countries in Eastern Europe such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russia reported increases in daily infections, case counts in Europe fell 7%, led by significant decreases in Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. The number of new cases in the Americas decreased by 36%, with the United States — still the most affected country — reporting 1.87 million new cases, down 50% from the previous week.
Vaccines appeared to be the most effective way to prevent severe omicron disease. Booster doses, according to the CDC, increased vaccine effectiveness estimates to over 75% for all vaccines for Each of the WHO’s six regions saw a decrease in case counts, with the exception of the eastern Mediterranean zone, which saw a 36% increase, owing to increases in Afghanistan, Iran, and Jordan.
Even as countries in Eastern Europe such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Russia reported increases in daily infections, case counts in Europe fell 7%, led by significant decreases in Belgium, France, Italy, and Spain. The number of new cases in the Americas decreased by 36%, with the United States — still the most affected country — reporting 1.87 million new cases, down 50% from the previous week.
Vaccines appeared to be the most effective way to prevent severe Omicron disease. Booster doses, according to the CDC, increased vaccine effectiveness estimates to over 75% for all vaccines. for
However, the rates fell after three to six months after injection, according to the data available.
WHO led a pitch on Wednesday for new funding for its ACT-Accelerator program to get COVID-19 diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines to people all over the world, bringing together leaders like South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre, as well as health ministers.
“We must first inject fairness into the system if we want to ensure vaccinations for everyone to end this pandemic,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “The greatest moral failure of our time is vaccine inequity, and people and countries are paying the price.”
According to Ramaphosa, high-income countries have given out 14 times more life-saving vaccines and conducted 80 times more tests than low-income countries. According to him, only 8% of Africans are fully vaccinated. Many vulnerable health workers and elderly people in Africa “remain unprotected,” he said, as many wealthy countries roll out third or even fourth booster doses.
“The end of this pandemic is in sight, but only if we act in concert for equity and solidarity,” he stated.
The appeal comes as many wealthy Western countries, which are major donors to WHO, have begun to relax pandemic restrictions as Covid-19 cases have begun to decline.
“Let’s be honest. Let’s be honest. According to Gahr Stre, “it is not self-evident that leaders in the North — if you put it that way — will respond” to global efforts to combat COVID-19. But he pushed for “advocacy” to show leaders that “staying committed and engaged is really in their best interest.”
He said, addressing officials in wealthy nations, “You may be very badly surprised around the next corner if we have some kind of sleepwalking out of a shortsighted view on your national Omicron challenge,”
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