The Bochnia Hospital paramedics are carrying protective equipment while transporting a patient suffering from COVID-19 to a local hospital on March 17, 2021 in Bochnia, Poland.
Omar Marques | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
The World Health Organization said Monday the track record of the coronavirus pandemic is now growing exponentially, with more than 4.4 million new Covid-19 cases reported in the past week.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the agency’s technical leader for Covid-19, said ‘we are at a critical point in the pandemic’, as some countries are easing restrictions, even if new cases are more than eight times a week. years ago.
“This is not the situation where we want to be in a pandemic in 16 months’ time where we have proven controls. At the moment, it’s time for everyone to take stock and do a reality check of what we need to do,” she said. said during a press conference. “Vaccinations and vaccinations are coming online, but they are not yet here in all parts of the world.”
Covid-19 cases rose 9% worldwide last week – the seventh consecutive weekly increase – and deaths rose 5%, urging governments to support their citizens in implementing pandemic security measures.
Last month, WHO officials warned of a gradual increase in cases and deaths in Covid-19, urging people to adhere to mask mandates and social distance rules as the world enters a critical phase of the pandemic.
The virus is ‘stronger, it’s faster’ with the emergence of new variants that are more easily spread and deadly than the original wild strain of the virus, said dr. Mike Ryan, head of the WHO’s health emergency program, said on March 31. “We are all struggling” and are sick of restrictive exclusions, he said.
India overtook Brazil as the second worst-infected country behind the United States after Covid-19 cases continued to rise in India, after which a double-mutant variant that researchers say could be more contagious emerged and spread rapidly.
In the US, B.1.1.7, the highly contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the UK is now the most common strain circulating, Drs. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said last week.
Hospitals also see young people being admitted, she said.
Walensky said the U.S. should speed up its vaccination efforts, which average about 3.1 million shots a day. “We must continue to vaccinate as many Americans as we can every day,” Walensky said, adding that it would reduce new cases and deaths.
The WHO urged the public and world leaders to continue to practice safety measures, including social distance, wearing masks, washing hands and avoiding pressure points.