Global COVID-19 Cases Increase by 18% in One Week
Significant Gaps in Vaccine Coverage by Country... "Universal Vaccination Not Achieved, Herd Immunity Impossible"
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized that COVID-19 cases are increasing worldwide and the pandemic is not over yet. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Se-eun] Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasized that COVID-19 cases are increasing in 110 countries worldwide and that the pandemic is not over yet.
According to recent reports from UK’s Sky News and others, Director-General Tedros stated at a press conference the day before, "Although the number of COVID-19 cases is maintaining a relatively stable level, we must not be mistaken into thinking that COVID-19 is over."
He added, "The pandemic changes, but it is not finished."
Director-General Tedros pointed out that as countries ease quarantine regulations, the ability to track genetic evolution is being threatened. He said, "COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant subtypes BA.4 and BA.5 have increased in 110 countries," and "Globally, cases have increased by 18% over the past seven days."
Deaths due to COVID-19 remained at levels similar to the previous week, but new cases increased in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Americas. In particular, cases in the Middle East rose by 47% over the past seven days. Europe and Southeast Asia saw about a 32% increase, and the Americas showed a 14% rise.
Director-General Tedros criticized, "More than 1.2 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, but the average immunity rate in poor countries is only 13%."
He added, "Wealthy countries are vaccinating children starting from six months old and planning additional booster shots. In this situation, it is incomprehensible to leave low-income countries unable to vaccinate," criticizing the disparity.
Meanwhile, Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), stated, "Unlike other traditional diseases such as polio, measles, and smallpox, achieving herd immunity for COVID-19 will be difficult."
On the same day, appearing on California regional media KCRA News, Fauci said, "The biggest obstacle is that COVID-19 has five variants and has caused five waves of outbreaks," adding, "This shows that immunity to the coronavirus is very limited and temporary."
He presented three conditions for achieving herd immunity: △ no mutations of the virus △ long-lasting immunity △ universal vaccination.
Earlier, Fauci was reinfected on the 15th after testing positive for COVID-19 following a previous infection.
He was prescribed the COVID-19 treatment Paxlovid for five days, tested negative for three consecutive days, but tested positive again on the fourth day. This appears to be a case of 'Paxlovid rebound,' where the virus reappears after disappearing following Paxlovid treatment.
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