The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that only deployment of new generation anti-viral drugs would stop coronaviruses or flu variants constantly mutating and reinventing themselves, not vaccines and regular mass testing.
The WHO in a broadcast further explained that both measures have faced distribution and public hesitancy issues, while mixed messaging on social distancing and wearing face masks also continues to plague our communities.
The United Nations (UN) health body, for the umpteenth time also warned against easing of pandemic restrictions, noting that new variants can flare up anywhere until there is a permanent cure using new generation anti-viral drugs.
It said, “We should also consider this present-day conundrum against historical parallels such as the Spanish Flu (1918-20) when the initial death toll was relatively contained, lulling a global population already fatigued by the devastation of WW1 into thinking the worst was over.
“But that virus then mutated into its most deadly strain, killing 50 million people when earth’s population numbered less than two billion – it’s now close to eight billion.
“So, as the COVID storm appears to fade, governments, scientists, and authorities like the WHO face a difficult balancing act: managing the expectations of their people, businesses, and economies, while guarding against another COVID variant, protecting lives, and improving longevity and overall health provision.
“This is before even starting to look at long-term pandemic damage done to millions of people with other conditions, denied proper care during COVID or left with the varied and insidious effects of Long COVID”, WHO said.
It said another challenge is that COVID-19 has been just one of several recent viruses with global pandemic potential, including SARS, Indian Flu Variant, Ebola, and Zika Virus.
It said, “We should also consider this present-day conundrum against historical parallels such as the Spanish Flu (1918-20) when the initial death toll was relatively contained, lulling a global population already fatigued by the devastation of WW1 into thinking the worst was over.
“But that virus then mutated into its most deadly strain, killing 50 million people when earth’s population numbered less than two billion – it’s now close to eight billion.
“So, as the COVID storm appears to fade, governments, scientists, and authorities like the WHO face a difficult balancing act: managing the expectations of their people, businesses, and economies, while guarding against another COVID variant, protecting lives, and improving longevity and overall health provision.
“This is before even starting to look at long-term pandemic damage done to millions of people with other conditions, denied proper care during COVID or left with the varied and insidious effects of Long COVID”, WHO said.
It said another challenge is that COVID-19 has been just one of several recent viruses with global pandemic potential, including SARS, Indian Flu Variant, Ebola, and Zika Virus.
