Category: Development

Speaking in Geneva, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros noted that on average last week, 100 cases were reported every three seconds, and somebody lost their life to the coronavirus every 12 seconds. It is still “dangerous to assume that Omicron will be the last variant, or that we are in the endgame” of the pandemic, he said. “On the… Read More

Newly reported cases fell by 20 per cent in the week that ended on 16 January, while deaths dropped by 8 per cent. South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first sequenced, and which has accounted for the bulk of cases and deaths, has now recorded a downward trend for the past four weeks. Cases also fell across the rest… Read More

Dr. Carissa Etienne, Director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), highlighted the critical need for countries to scale-up testing and, in particular, to leverage “smart” use of rapid antigen tests.  📢 “Although omicron 🦠 infections appear to be milder, we continue to urge caution because the virus is spreading more actively than ever before. Vaccines 💉 shield us from… Read More

Briefing journalists in Geneva, Tedros Ghebreyesus said that more than 18 million cases were reported last week, and the pandemic itself is far from over, so no country is out of the woods yet. The number of deaths remains stable, but the agency is concerned about the impact the variant is having on already exhausted health workers and overburdened health systems. “I remain particularly concerned about many… Read More

Along with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Vaccine Alliance GAVI, and partners, WHO has led the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history with deliveries to 144 countries to date. According to a press release published on Sunday, as of 13 January 2022, out of 194 countries members of WHO, 36 have vaccinated less than 10%… Read More

The first drug, baricitinib, is a Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitor- a class of drugs used to treat autoimmune conditions, blood and bone marrow cancers, and rheumatoid arthritis. According to the WHO Guideline Development Group, it is “strongly recommended” for patients with severe or critical disease in combination with corticosteroids. The group of international experts based their recommendation on “moderate certainty evidence” that it improves survival and reduces the need for… Read More

WHO said that this marked the shortest surge since the pandemic began on the continent, where total cases have exceeded 10.2 million. Recorded cases of infection show that the weekly number plateaued in the seven days leading up to 9 January, from the previous week. So far 30 African countries—and at least 142 globally—have detected the #Omicron variant. The Delta… Read More

Briefing reporters in Geneva, the UN health agency chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said the “huge spike” is being driven by the Omicron variant, which is rapidly replacing Delta in almost all countries.  Despite the number of cases, the weekly reported deaths have “remained stable” since October last year, Tedros added, at an average of 48,000. The number of patients being hospitalized is also increasing in… Read More

The opinion is contained in an interim statement from the WHO Technical Advisory Group on COVID-19 Vaccine Composition, which was established last September.  Vaccines alone do not prevent the spread of #COVID19.Please keep:😷Wearing well-fitted masks↔️ Safe distancing🚷Avoiding crowds🖐️🏽 Cleaning your hands🪟 Opening windows Do it all to lower your risk! pic.twitter.com/dLRN9kY5sJ — World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) January 11, 2022… Read More

Currently, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 represents a “new west to east tidal wave sweeping across the region”, said WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Dr. Hans Kluge. In the first week of January, Europe saw over seven million newly reported cases, more than doubling over a two-week period. “How each country now responds must be informed by its epidemiological situation,… Read More