The regional director for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO), Hans Kluge, warned this Thursday that once the first wave of coronavirus infections is overcome “it is essential to prepare for a second or third”, at times in that several European countries began to make containment measures more flexible.
With almost half of European countries (21 out of 44) relaxing the social isolation measures taken to stop the Covid-19 pandemic, Kluge warned that the situation on that continent “continues to be serious, and although there is a stabilization in the part The western graph of new cases continues to rise in the east. ” The official highlighted that countries like Russia, Ukraine or Belarus still show this upward trend.
We’ve seen the speed with which even the best healthcare systems can be devastated.
The European continent accumulates 63% of deaths in the world from Covid-19 (129,000 in European countries), but only 46% of cases, with 1.4 million infections.
Kluge warned the 21 countries that started the reopening of businesses and are relaxing the confinements, and the 11 that are already developing similar strategies, that “they must remain vigilant and willing to take other measures if necessary since this virus does not forgive “”
The coronavirus “is not forgiving” and that is why countries that are entering phase 2, considered opening, must “remain vigilant and patient, ready to re-establish” containment “measures when and where necessary,” he said.
The Belgian expert also asked that in the current health emergency, authorities and families do not forget the need to vaccinate children against diseases such as measles, rubella, diphtheria or mumps, despite the fear of some parents to take their children to health centres in the current circumstances.
In relation to possible outbreaks of the virus, the WHO official noted that “it is necessary to be prepared” and reiterated that from now on public health should take precedence in society.
In the coronavirus pandemic, “we have seen the speed with which even the best healthcare systems can be devastated. Health must be at the top of the political agenda. Without health, there is no economy and there is no security. This lesson should not be forgotten,” he stressed, inviting all countries to “have strong public health.”
