35% spike in COVID-19 deaths in 4 weeks - WHO Chief | Daily News

35% spike in COVID-19 deaths in 4 weeks - WHO Chief

Monkeypox cases jumped 20% last week across 92 countries

SWITZERLAND: Deaths linked to COVID-19 reported globally have increased by 35 per cent in the last one month, said World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus in the latest briefing on COVID-19 and Monkeypox.

With the pandemic in its third year, it has been repeated multiple times by leaders and experts that the world has to learn to live with COVID-19. But in a warning against dropping guards, the WHO Chief said that this does not mean that “we pretend it’s not there”. “It means we use all the tools we have to protect ourselves, and protect others,” he said.

“We’re all tired of this virus, and tired of the pandemic. But the virus is not tired of us,” the World Health Organisation chief further said.

Omicron remains the dominant variant and, in the last one month, BA.5 sub-variant represented more than 90% of sequences.

“None of us is helpless. Please get vaccinated if you’re not, and get a booster (dose) if you need it. Wear mask and maintain social distancing,” the WHO Chief urges in the video. “We cannot live (with the virus) with 15,000 deaths a week. We cannot live with mounting hospitalisations. We can’t live with inequitable access of vaccines,” the WHO Chief said in a desperate appeal.

The world has reported over 59 crore cases since the start of the pandemic and over 64 lakh deaths. The United States has reported a majority of these cases (over 9.3 crore), followed by India (around 4.4 crore).

Meanwhile, the WHO Chief also said that more than 35,000 cases of Monkeypox have now been reported from 92 countries and territories, with almost 7,500 cases being registered last week - a 20 per cent increase.

Ghebreyesus said there has been a total of 12 Monkeypox-related deaths across the world so far. Ghebreyesus's statement comes even as Bavarian Nordic A/S, the only company with an approved vaccine for Monkeypox, said it’s no longer certain it can meet demand as cases continue to rise across the world. - THE HINDUSTAN TIMES


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