Reuters – Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO said on Wednesday, warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus.
After more than a month of decline, COVID cases started to increase around the world last week, the WHO said, with lockdowns in Asia and China’s Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.
A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its cousin the BA.2 sub-variant, and the lifting of public health and social measures, the WHO said.
“We just have to avoid thinking that COVID is no longer there. And therefore maintain the strictly necessary measures, which are essentially the continuous monitoring and tracking of cases, and the maintenance of the obligation to wear a mask in closed or very crowded places.”
– Antonella Viola, professor of immunology at Italy’s University of Padua
“These increase are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means the cases we’re seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,” WHO’s head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.
Low vaccination rates in some countries, driven partly by a “huge amount of misinformation” also explained the rise, WHO officials said.
New infections jumped by eight per cent globally compared to the previous week, with 11 million new cases and just over 43,000 new deaths reported from March 7-13. It is the first rise since the end of January.
The biggest jump was in the WHO’s Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China … READ MORE.
“Throughout this pandemic, WHO failed to provide authoritative scientific information, data, and pragmatic operational guidance.” – Business Wire, “Ten Ways WHO Catastrophically Failed the World”
Can The World Health Organization Be Trusted For Honest Dealing?
HEADLINE HEALTH – Can we trust figures from the WHO? Several leading voices raised concerns about WHO veracity and integrity going back to the start of the pandemic:
- “We need to take a cold hard look at the World Health Organization.” – The Hill, April 30, 2020
- “The World Health Organization can no longer be trusted. It had an obligation to warn the world about the coronavirus. Instead, the organization helped the Chinese Communist Party cover it up, allowing the outbreak in Wuhan to become a global pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 500,000 people worldwide and put millions more lives at risk.” – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), 07.08.2020
- “From where does the WHO’s scientific knowledge, and its own scientists, come? The WHO’s scientists are delegated to it by the countries and organizations that finance the WHO. Many of these persons have a track record of giving advice that profited the pharmaceutical industry.” – Maximilian C. Forte. Professor of anthropology, Concordia University, Montreal, Mat 24. 2021
- “If the World Health Organization (WHO) wants to maintain its legitimacy on the world stage, it must now answer some tough questions about the extent it has kowtowed to China during the coronavirus pandemic.” – The Conversation, May 20, 2020
- “The deputy prime minister of Japan slammed the World Health Organization, saying it should be called the China Health Organization amid speculation the communist government played down the number of people infected by the coronavirus.” – Washington Examiner, April 20, 2020
