Published September 27,2023
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The World Health Organization‘s technical lead on COVID-19 on Wednesday mentioned that new variants of the virus didn’t change the severity of the illness.
“We have not detected a change in severity,” Maria Van Kerkhove responded to Anadolu’s query throughout a press briefing in Geneva. She was referring to variants equivalent to BA.2.86 (Pirola), XBB.1.15, EG.5 (Eris) and XBB.1.16.
“The good news is that our countermeasures work,” Kerkhove mentioned.
She famous that the present COVID-19 vaccines stay “safe and effective” to stop extreme virus-related ailments and deaths.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was a part of the identical press briefing, additionally drew consideration to the regarding tendencies of COVID-19 as winter approaches within the northern hemisphere.
Tedros mentioned each hospitalizations and emergency (ICU) admissions have elevated prior to now 28 days, significantly within the Americas and Europe, whereas vaccination ranges among the many most at-risk teams stay “worryingly low.”
Two-thirds of the worldwide inhabitants has obtained a whole major sequence, however solely one-third has obtained a further or booster dose, he added.
“COVID-19 may no longer be the acute crisis it was two years ago, but that does not mean we can ignore it,” he mentioned. “Countries invested so much in building their systems to respond to COVID-19. We urge countries to sustain those systems, to ensure people can be protected, tested, and treated for COVID and other infectious threats.”
LIBYAN FLOODS
Tedros underlined that WHO is working carefully with Libya’s Ministry of Health to evaluate the wants on the bottom after the Sept. 10 floods, present provides, and restore major healthcare providers, particularly for routine immunization and psychological well being.
“Only a third of hospitals and half of the primary health centers remain fully functional due to structural damage to health facilities and hospitals, lack of medicine and medical equipment, and shortages of health workers,” he mentioned.
He added that affected communities are dealing with the specter of mosquito- and water-borne ailments, and acute psychological misery.
To assist this effort, he mentioned, the WHO has requested $11 million and disbursed $2.3 million from the Contingency Fund for Emergencies.
According to the WHO, greater than 4,000 persons are lifeless, whereas over 8,500 persons are lacking, and the variety of displaced has handed 30,000.
Rescue groups proceed search operations within the sea for survivors of the Sept. 10 floods in japanese Libya, in line with officers.
Source: www.anews.com.tr
