World Health Organization – (WHO) epidemiologist Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, on February 6, 2022, cites that the international health organization is having all the necessary tools now to tackle and reduce the risk of the ongoing COVID-19 viral illness.
Dr Kerkhove further asks the countries to make more investments in the public health systems, noting that it is the need for time. She wrote on her Twitter, “We have tools to tackle these major challenges now. We can significantly lower the risk of #LongCOVID, severe disease and death now. We can lower the spread to reduce the risk of further variants now. We can invest in public health systems, which we need now & for the future now.”
We have tools to tackle these major challenges now.
We can significantly ⬇️ the risk of #LongCOVID, severe disease and death now.
We can ⬇️ the spread to reduce risk of further variants now.
We can invest in the public health systems we need now & for the future now.@WHO
— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) February 6, 2022
WHO epidemiologist further listed the significant five factors that continue to drive COVID-19 transmission globally, which are as below:
- The continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in more transmissible variants and the variants with immune evasion,
- Unequal access to life-saving tools including – PPE, diagnostics, therapeutics and the COVID-19 vaccines – (VaccinEquity),
- Increased social mobility & social mixing combined with
- Inappropriate & inconsistent use of proven Public Health & Social Measures (masks, distancing, ventilation, hand hygiene),
- Misinformation, disinformation, conflicting messaging, politicization & false narratives.
Speaking during live Question and Answer session related to COVID-19 on Sunday, she asserted, “Omicron will not be the last variant you all will hear us talking about. The next “variant of concern” will be more fit, which means that it will be more transmissible because it has to overtake what is at present circulating.”
5️⃣ factors that continue to drive #COVID19 transmission globally:
1️⃣ Continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 resulting in more transmissible variants & variants with immune evasion
2️⃣ Unequal access to life saving tools incl PPE, diagnostics, therapeutics & vaccines (#VaccinEquity)…
— Maria Van Kerkhove (@mvankerkhove) February 6, 2022
Meanwhile, Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, ensured their commitment to the Olympics committee for promoting vaccine equity among the countries worldwide.
He tweeted, “World Health Organisation looks forward to continuing its collaboration with the @Olympics Committee to promote #VaccinEquity and building sport for health initiatives in future Games, starting with Paris 2024.” The Winter Olympics 2022 commenced earlier this month in Beijing.
Official Twitter account of WHO tweeted on the matter, citing, “International @Olympics Committee and World Health Organisation reaffirms collaboration to promote #VaccinEquity and healthy lifestyles among people”.