‘Not less dangerous,’ says WHO as it signals new stage of Coronavirus pandemic – Here’s what you must know

Maria Van Kerkhove, Covid-19 technical lead at the World Health Organisation, has said that the Coronavirus is well on its way to becoming endemic, but that does not mean that it’s not dangerous. “Now is not the time to give up. Now is not the time to say the pandemic is over. Unfortunately, it’s not. so we have to increase vaccination coverage in those most at risk in every country on the planet. As well as take simple measures to reduce the spread,” Kerkhove said.

The WHO Covid lead emphasized the fact that while it is important to get our economies back on track, we also have to make sure that we have the tools that save people’s lives. “We have to increase vaccination coverage as well as take simple measures to reduce the spread. And that’s not a lockdown. We’re talking about the use of simple tools that can reduce the spread and keep us and our loved ones safe,” Kerkhove said.

The WHO has time and again urged the people and governments across the globe to be careful in lifting Covid curbs as the virus is still very much in circulation. Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Programme, had earlier said, “I think we need to be careful here in terms of the word endemic.”

Dr. Ryan had further clarified and said that endemic means that the virus is present and transmitting at lower levels, usually with the seasonal transmission of seasonal increases or outbreaks on top of an endemic situation.  He had also stressed on the need for strong health systems to deal with those infections that can’t be prevented.  

Explaining how Covid-19 virus transmission needs to be controlled Dr Ryan had said, “We need sustained control on this virus and we need sustained protection of our most vulnerable.”