Health: Call for caution over new Covid-19 wave – Gulf Digital News

Health: Call for caution over new Covid-19 wave – Gulf Digital News

NEW waves of the coronavirus (Covid-19) have sparked renewed calls for caution and safe health practices.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that Covid-19 remains a global emergency nearly two-and-a-half years after the disease was first declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on Wednesday referred to a statement released by the UN health body’s emergency committee of independent experts who said the continued emergency is warranted because of rising cases, ongoing evolution of the coronavirus and pressure on health services in a number of countries.

Cases reported to the WHO had risen by 30 per cent since late June, according to the July 12 statement.

However, the committee acknowledged that increased population immunity had led to a “decoupling” of infections from hospitalisations and deaths.

The surge in cases has been attributed mostly to the BA.4/5 Omicron sub-variants which apparently have been reinfecting people at a record clip, according to reports.

Dr Ghebreyesus said people “must push back with safe and effective tools to prevent infections, hospitalisations and deaths”.

His comments followed the WHO Covid-19 Emergency Committee meeting which concluded that the outbreak remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

His views were backed by medics in Bahrain, as the