Health

WHO chief believes pandemic could last less than two years

Modern technology and international cooperation could limit the coronavirus pandemic to less than two years, World Health Organisation (WHO) Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the weekend.
While the novel coronavirus can spread more easily because the world is far more interconnected than it was 100 years ago, modern technology has given humanity the tools to fight COVID-19 more effectively than the Spanish flu, Tedros said.
However, Tedros warned that “even if we do have a vaccine, it won’t end the pandemic on its own.”
Countries must not simply bank on a future vaccine but must implement known effective health measures, while people must adjust their lives to curb infections, the UN health chief stressed.
COVID-19 is believed to have originated in China late last year.
Since then, more than 22 million cases and some 780,000 associated deaths have been reported around the world, according to the WHO.
Addressing more immediate concerns among parents in many countries where new school terms are starting, senior WHO scientist Maria Van Kerkhove said that the pandemic must be fought in the communities where children and teachers live.
If the novel coronavirus is spreading rapidly through communities, it can also enter schools, she said at the press briefing.
Schools do not only educate, but also play a vital role in feeding children and providing social interaction, said Van Kerkhove, WHO’s chief COVID-19 scientist.

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