WHO- COVID-19 deaths rate reduced by 95% since January

The World Health Organization said that the COVID-19 deaths rate had dropped by 95 per cent since the start of the year, but cautioned that the virus was still on the move.

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The health agency also noted that COVID-19 has come to stay but stressed that countries would have to learn how to manage its ongoing non-emergency effects, including post-COVID-19 condition, also referred to as Long COVID.

According to the WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus during a press briefing stated that “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.

“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” he said.

Tedros reiterated that WHO remained hopeful of declaring an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, with the committee that advises him on the status due to convene next month for its regular quarterly meeting.

“But this virus is here to stay, and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other infectious diseases,” he added.

Meanwhile, Tedros said that an estimated one in 10 infections resulted in Long COVID, suggesting that hundreds of millions of people would need longer-term care.

The WHO chief also recalled how the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted vaccination programmes, with an estimated 67 million children missing out on at least one essential jab between 2019 and 2021.

“Following a decade of stalled progress, vaccination rates are back to where they were in 2008, leading to rising outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, polio and yellow fever. All countries must address “the barriers to immunization, whether it’s access, availability, cost or disinformation”, he said.

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