Some international locations with quickly spreading coronavirus outbreaks might need to reinstate lockdowns and different restrictions to curb the
Some international locations with quickly spreading coronavirus outbreaks might need to reinstate lockdowns and different restrictions to curb the unfold of the virus, a high World Well being Group official mentioned Wednesday.
Nations like Spain and Italy efficiently drove again extreme outbreaks with a complete public well being technique that mobilized the general public, mentioned WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Nonetheless, some international locations have struggled to comprise the virus and many nonetheless do not have the most effective methods in place to forestall one other outbreak, mentioned Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO’s rising ailments and zoonosis unit.
“Some international locations who’ve had success in suppressing transmission who’re opening up now might have a setback, might should implement interventions once more, might should implement these so-called lockdowns once more,” she mentioned at a information briefing from the company’s headquarters in Geneva. “We hope not. We hope that we cannot have to enter widespread lockdown once more. So it is not too late to behave quick.”
Among the international locations which have responded most successfully to the pandemic have been international locations with latest expertise dealing with outbreaks akin to SARS in 2003 and MERS in 2013.
“That they had first-hand expertise of how harmful a pathogen like this might be,” she mentioned. Whereas she didn’t particularly point out any particular international locations, SARS emerged in China and hit elements of Asia, together with Hong Kong and Singapore. MERS largely hit South Korea.
The outbreak in some international locations might sound “overwhelming,” she mentioned, urging nationwide leaders to “break down” the issue.
“It is not too late to show it round. It is not too late to get the infrastructure in place, to work on that and to make use of it appropriately,” she mentioned. “Now we have seen international locations which were in overwhelming conditions who’ve turned this round. It is not too late. It is not too late to make use of this complete method. WHO is right here for all international locations everywhere in the world.”
Globally, the pandemic remains to be accelerating, Tedros mentioned earlier within the briefing. He added that over the previous week, greater than 160,000 coronavirus infections have been confirmed all over the world each single day. The virus has now contaminated greater than 10.5 million folks all over the world and killed not less than 512,331 folks, in keeping with information compiled by Johns Hopkins College.
There isn’t a silver bullet answer to decreasing unfold, he mentioned, international locations should ramp up testing, construct tracing infrastructure, encourage the general public to put on masks and apply bodily distancing, and proceed to analysis medicine and vaccines.
“Nations which have adopted this complete method have suppressed transmission and saved lives,” he mentioned. “Flare-ups are to be anticipated as international locations begin to carry restrictions, however international locations which have the methods in place to use a complete method ought to be capable to comprise these flare-ups domestically and keep away from reintroducing widespread restrictions.”
Some international locations might haven’t totally dedicated to their preliminary coronavirus response, he added, which is able to draw out the outbreak.
“Nonetheless, we’re involved some international locations haven’t used all of the instruments at their disposal and have taken a fragmented method. These international locations face a protracted, arduous street forward,” he mentioned. “However one of many classes of pandemic is that it doesn’t matter what scenario a rustic is in, it may be rotated. It is by no means too late.”
These feedback weren’t in “particular reference to any particular person nation,” Mike Ryan, govt director of the WHO’s emergencies program, mentioned.
The United Nations well being company’s feedback come because the U.S. coronavirus outbreak continues to worsen. The nation is now reporting almost 40,000 new coronavirus instances each day — nearly double from about 22,800 in mid-Could — pushed largely by outbreaks in a variety of states throughout the South and West. About 50% of all new instances are coming from 4 states: Florida, California, Texas and Arizona, White Home well being advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci informed lawmakers Tuesday.
“We are actually having 40-plus-thousand new instances a day. I’d not be shocked if we go as much as 100,000 a day if this doesn’t flip round, and so I’m very involved,” he mentioned at a listening to held by the Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor and Pensions Committee. “I am very involved and I am not glad with what is going on on as a result of we’re going within the incorrect route when you have a look at the curves of the brand new instances, so we actually have gotten to do one thing about that and we have to do it shortly.”