Coronavirus pandemic ‘one big wave’, not seasonal, says WHO as global cases cross 1.67 crore
WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said that global efforts must concentrate on flattening the wave.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday said that the coronavirus pandemic is “one big wave” and unlike the influenza, it shows no tendency to follow seasons, Reuters reported.
“People are still thinking about seasons,” WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said during a press briefing. “What we all need to get our heads around is this is a new virus and...this one is behaving differently.”
“We are in the first wave,” she added. “It’s going to be one big wave. It’s going to go up and down a bit. The best thing is to flatten it and turn it into just something lapping at your feet.”
Harris said that countries in the northern hemisphere must not be complacent during the summer season. “Summer is a problem,” she said. “This virus likes all weather.” The WHO official pointed to the rapidly-increasing coronavirus cases in the United States and said that the authorities need to stay on alert. The US on Tuesday registered nearly 1,600 deaths – its highest since May.
The WHO official expressed concern over coronavirus cases coinciding with winter season-related illnesses in countries in the southern hemisphere. “If you have an increase in a respiratory illness when you already have a very high burden of respiratory illness, that puts even more pressure on the health system,” she said.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had on Monday warned that the coronavirus pandemic was continuously accelerating as the number of cases had doubled over the last few weeks.
The coronavirus has infected more than 1.67 crore people across the world and claimed more than 6.60 lakh lives, according to the Johns Hopkins University. More than 97 lakh people have recovered. The United States, Brazil and India are the three worst-hit nations.