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

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

“We will enter a second year, it could be even tougher, given the dynamics of the transmission and some of the problems we see,” said Mike Ryan, WHO’s chief emergency officer, during an event. 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 overnight epidemiological update, said that after two weeks of fewer reported cases, about five million new cases were reported last week, the likely result of a decline in defenses during the holiday season. people – and the virus – have gathered.

“Certainly in the northern hemisphere, especially in Europe and North America, we saw that kind of perfect storm of the season – cold, people coming in, increased social mix and a combination of factors that led to increased transmission in Many, many countries, Ryan said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical director for COVID-19, warned: “After the holidays, in some countries the situation will worsen long before it improves.”

Amid growing fears about the more contagious version of coronavirus first detected in the UK but now rooted worldwide, governments across Europe on Wednesday announced stricter and longer coronavirus restrictions.

This includes home office requirements and store closures in Switzerland, an extensive Italian state of emergency COVID-19 and German efforts to further reduce contacts between people accused of failed efforts to control the coronavirus so far.

“I’m worried that we will stay in this pattern of peak and gutter and peak and gutter and we can do better,” Van Kerkhove said.

She called for physical distance, adding: “The farther away, the better … but make sure you keep that distance from people outside your immediate home.”