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The World Health Organization’s director-general said Wednesday that the world is in an unprecedentedly better position to end the COVID-19 pandemic, as it continues to fight the virus that has killed more than 6 million people. I urged all countries to do so.
“We are not there yet, but the end is in sight,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a virtual press conference.
The comment was the most optimistic from a UN agency since it declared COVID-19 an international emergency and began describing the virus as a pandemic in March 2020.
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The virus that emerged in China in late 2019 has killed nearly 6.5 million people, infected 606 million, disrupted the global economy and overwhelmed the healthcare system.
The deployment of vaccines and treatments is helping to stem the severity of the disease. His death toll from COVID-19 last week was his lowest since March 2020, according to the United Nations agency.
Still, countries need to review their policies and strengthen their preparedness against COVID-19 and future viruses, Tedros said. He also urged countries to vaccinate 100% of high-risk groups and continue testing for the virus.
The WHO warned of possible future waves of the virus and said countries should maintain adequate supplies of medical equipment and health workers.
WHO senior epidemiologist Maria van Kerhove said: “There is the potential for future waves of infection at different points in time around the world with different subspecies of Omicron, or different subspecies of concern. Expect.
Monkeypox cases were also on the decline, but Tedros urged countries to continue their fight.
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WHO officials said last month that stepped up vaccination and testing could eliminate monkeypox outbreaks in Europe.
“As with COVID-19, now is not the time to relax or let your guard down.”