The second year of the pandemic “could be even tougher”: the WHO is Ryan

GENEVA (Reuters) – The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic may be tougher than the first given how the new coronavirus is spreading, especially in the northern hemisphere as more infectious variants circulate, it said on Wednesday. World Health Organization (WHO).

“Let’s go to a second year of this, it could be even harder considering the dynamics of transmission and some of the problems we’re seeing,” said Mike Ryan, WHO’s chief emergency officer, during an act on social media.

The global death toll is approaching 2 million people since the pandemic began, with 91.5 million people infected.

The WHO, in its latest epidemiological update published overnight, said that after two weeks fewer cases were reported, last week about five million new cases were reported, probably the result of a decay of defenses during the holiday season in which people – and the virus – gathered.

“Certainly, in the northern hemisphere, especially in Europe and North America, we have seen this kind of perfect storm of the season: cold, people coming in, increased social mix and a combination of factors that have driven more transmission. great in many, many countries, ”Ryan said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical director of COVID-19, warned: “After the holidays, in some countries the situation will get much worse before it improves.”

Amid growing fears of the most contagious coronavirus variant first detected in Britain but now consolidated worldwide, governments across Europe announced on Wednesday narrower and longer coronavirus restrictions.

This includes home office requirements and the closure of stores in Switzerland, a broad Italian state of emergency COVID-19 and German efforts to further reduce contacts between people guilty of failed efforts, so far, to control the coronavirus.

“I’m worried we’ll stay in this pattern of peak and low and peak and low, and we’ll be able to do better,” Van Kerkhove said.

He asked to keep the physical distance and added, “The farther away, the better … but make sure you keep that distance from people outside your immediate home.”