WHO warns about the rise in coronavirus cases worldwide due to the BA.4 and BA.5 variants of omicron

COVID-19 deaths worldwide are at a level similar to March 2020 just days before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus a pandemic.

The epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove, responsible for managing the pandemic at the WHO, warned of the issue on her Twitter account, stating that in 2022, although deaths are now much lower than they have been at their peaks during the last 2 and a half years, says that we must remember that In March 2020, very little was known about this virus and there were no treatments or vaccines as there are at the moment.

Maria Van Kerkhove considers that there are too many people who die unnecessarily when there are tools in the world to prevent them. She therefore insists that humanity must remain alert, wear a mask, distance themselves, get vaccinated, open windows, wash their hands, get tested, isolate themselves if infected, quarantine. If there is contact, stay informed. “Live your life, but be careful… your life is precious,” she wrote in her Twitter thread.

Variants BA.4 and BA.5

The expert pointed out that, “in July 2022, we have several life-saving interventions that we are not using effectively or consistently globally and deaths should be much lower at this point in the pandemic.” That is why she stressed that the pandemic “is not over.” “We are playing with fire by letting this virus circulate at such intense levels,” she warned.

Among the omicron lineages, BA.4 and BA.5 continue to increase globally. BA.5 has been detected in 83 countries, with a prevalence of 37% to 52% from June 19 to 25, although the rate of BA.4 is not that high.

The expert insisted again that: “The pandemic is not over and we have to live with this virus responsibly. We can do this. We must do it”. “At WHO we will continue to work with everyone, everywhere, until this emergency is over everywhere and we will continue to work to be better prepared and ideally to prevent the next one,” he concluded.

This message from van Kerkhove is related to the increase in infections recorded in recent weeks Asia, Europe and the United States. According to experts, this trend is linked to the increased contagiousness of new omicron subvariants, especially BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5.

They will analyze alert

Meanwhile, the WHO Emergency Committee held a one-day meeting on Friday to discuss the recent evolution of the covid-19 pandemic and Recommend whether the maximum health alert level is maintained or lowered to moderate risk.

The spread of covid-19 constitutes an international health emergency in the eyes of the WHO since January 30, 2020. Since then, this declaration has been reviewed every three months and on each occasion it has been determined that the conditions were not met. to raise the measure.

This is the twelfth meeting that the Emergency Committee – a group of scientists from different areas of all regions of the world – has dedicated to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the evolution of COVID cases in recent weeks suggests that it will recommend keep it as an international emergency. (YO)