The current spread of the coronavirus in Europe deeply worries the World Health Organization (WHO), which warns that there could be up to 500,000 more deaths between now and March if no action is taken urgently.
This has been pointed out by its regional director, Hans Kluge, in an interview this Saturday with the ‘BBC‘, at a time when the continent is experiencing a major spike in infections which has led several countries to adopt new restrictions. It is the case of Austria, which has decided to confine its entire population and make vaccination mandatory.
Speaking to the aforementioned British media, Kluge cites three factors that would be driving this new wave: the seasonality, the existence of “too many susceptible people the virus “(either because they are not vaccinated or because their immunity has waned) and the expansion of the delta variant, “much more transmissible”.
“We could see around half a million deaths by March 1“, has warned the head of the WHO for Europe, who has regretted that” COVID-19 has once again become the leading cause of mortality, “with one death” every 15-20 minutes. “
However, Kluge stressed that “we know what to do” and has advocated for “dramatically increase mask use“, a measure that, he assures, would have an” immediate effect “.
In addition, he cites four other measures to stabilize the epidemiological situation: increase vaccination, manage booster dose, pay more attention to the ventilation and introduce new clinical treatment protocols.
Through Twitter, the WHO director has also reminded citizens of some of the elementary measures to prevent contagion, emphasizing the need to be vaccinated: wear a mask in “closed, confined or crowded” spaces, maintain a safe distance, wash hands regularly and ventilate interior spaces.
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
