The World Health Organization has warned the countries which are reporting a decline in the number of Wuhan coronavirus cases that they can witness a ‘second peak’ of the infection. The international health body has suggested the governments not to slow doen on the measures containing the virus.
Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, Mike Ryan said in a press briefing, “We are right in the middle of the first wave globally. We’re still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up.”
He asserted that epidemics come in waves which literally means that outbreak may come back later this year in the places where the first wave has subsided. He warned that the chances of infection rates can rise if the measures to halt the spread is lifted too soon.
“Get ready for the second wave”- Mike Ryan
Mike Ryan stated, “We need to be also cognizant of the fact that the disease can jump up anytime. We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now that it’s going to keep going down, and the way to get a number of months to get ready for a second wave- we may get a second peak in this way.”
Ryan said that the ‘second peak’ can come probably during normal influenza season that is between December to February which may complicate things for disease control. He suggested the countries in Europe and North America “continue to put in place the public health and social measures, the surveillance measures, the testing measures and a comprehensive strategy to ensure that we continue on a downwards trajectory and we don’t have an immediate second peak.”
As per reports, many countries including Europe and the US has been applying measures to lift the lockdown which was imposed to contain the spread of Wuhan coronavirus and caused severe harm to the world economy.
A WHO epidemiologist, Maria Van Kerkhove asserted, “all the countries need to be on high alert here. All countries need to be ready to rapidly detect cases, even countries that have had success in suppression… Even countries that have seen a decline in cases must remain ready”.
The global Coronavirus cases have crossed 5.5 million, with more than 3.48 lakh deaths. United States alone has more than 1.7 million positive cases till now.
