According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of the population is still facing a risk of getting infected by COVID-19, and we should expect the worst of the coronavirus outbreak in the following period.
The director-general of the Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that it’s almost impossible to develop widespread immunity to the virus because the early tests show that only 3% of the population is infected. There are more the 2.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases around the world, but antibody tests will show if a person has developed immunity to the virus, and also reveal undiagnosed cases.
Remaining vigilant is what the WHO experts suggest, saying that according to the early studies only a small percentage of the population is infected, which means that the larger portion of people is still susceptible. The virus can take off again.
As for the countries considering to ease on the social distancing measures, the WHO recommends to take it slowly and estimate the situation with precaution. Making sure that the systems are in order and the medical staff is in place for detecting and taking proper care of the newly infected people, is more necessary now than ever.
Countries that have announced loosening the lockdowns include Germany, New Zealand, India, and Denmark. However, easying the restrictions doesn’t mean the pandemic is over in any of these countries.
The deadly virus can only come to an end thanks to a prolonged and systematic effort of every individual and government in the world. Lockdowns are not enough if the country is not able to detect, isolate, test and treat a patient that carries the COVID-19.
Antibody tests are more than necessary for controlling the extent of the outbreak, but the diagnostic tests that detect the virus in people are still playing a vital role.
The WHO experts are warning that the worst is yet to come, pointing Africa as the new epicenter of the virus. Although African countries have less infected people than in Europe and the U.S., this continent has a weak health system.
The estimated fatality rate for Africa according to the UN Economic Commission is over 300,000.
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