The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that though deaths due to Covid-19 have dropped by 95 per cent around the world, it does not mean the threat of the viral disease is over.
Covid-19 Spike: On the emergence of the new XBB.1.16 variant, the WHO warned that the virus is still changing, and is still capable of causing new waves of disease and death.
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that though deaths due to Covid-19 have dropped by 95 per cent around the world, it does not mean the threat of the viral disease is over.
In a press briefing, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "We're very encouraged by the sustained decline in reported deaths from Covid-19, which have dropped 95 per cent since the beginning of this year."
“However, some countries are seeing increases, and over the past four weeks, 14,000 people lost their lives to this disease,” he warned. “And, as the emergence of the new XBB.1.16 variant illustrates, the virus is still changing, and is still capable of causing new waves of disease and death.”
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead on Covid-19, added to it saying XBB sub-lineages were now the dominant strain worldwide, as reported by Agence France Press.
According to the report, the WHO also said that over the past four weeks, across the world, 14,000 people lost their lives to the coronavirus disease.
Tedros further said that one in approximately 10 infections resulted in long Covid. All countries must address "the barriers to immunisation, whether it's access, availability, cost or disinformation".
"This virus is here to stay, and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other infectious diseases," he asserted.
Notably, the XBB.1.16 variant is also suspected to be behind India’s latest spike in Covid cases. Last month, former AIIMS director Dr Randeep Guleria said the new XBB.1.16 variant was sort of a "new kid on the block" but emphasised that there was no need for panic as long it does not cause severe illness and deaths.