We will not end the virus this year. WHO (Representative) says we may never end the virus
Geneva:
The World Health Organization on Tuesday warned against the notion that the Covid-19 pandemic becoming a pandemic means the disease is no longer dangerous.
WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan said at a virtual session of the World Economic Forum: “People talk about pandemics and pandemics.
Endemic malaria kills hundreds of thousands; HIV epidemics circulate; violence is common in our cities.
Ryan said at the Davos Roundtable on Vaccine Equity: “Endemic doesn’t mean good – endemic just means it’s here forever.
The rapidly spreading Omicron variant of Covid-19 is much more contagious than earlier strains but appears to cause less serious illness in vaccinated people.
That has sparked a debate about whether the virus will turn from a pandemic to become an epidemic – with the implication that the danger will pass.
“What we need to do is minimize the incidence of the disease by vaccinating as much of our population as possible, so that no one dies,” Ryan said.
“It’s the end of the emergency, in my view. It’s the end of the pandemic.”
Ryan added that it is possible to end the wave of deaths and hospitalizations by the end of 2022 through vaccine-led public health measures.
However, he added: “We will not end the virus this year. We may never end the virus. Pandemic viruses will become part of the ecosystem.
“What we can do is end the public health emergency.”
With the exception of the single-shot Janssen product, all WHO emergency-approved Covid-19 vaccines require two injections.
Ryan raised the prospect of getting three to four doses at some point considered adequate vaccination for long-term protection against severe Covid disease.
“As knowledge grows and as we see how the immune system matures and responds to a re-exposure or to an additional dose of vaccine, we may end up in a future where the treatment The primary vaccination for a vulnerable person could be three. or four doses,” he said.
“They won’t be called boosters. It can be seen that you need three to four doses to develop strong, long-lasting immunity that protects you from hospitalization and death for a long time.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was automatically generated from the feed provided.)
