Pandemic at âcritical phaseâ in Asia-Pacific amid rising cases
Qatar Tribune
dpa Manila The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday the Covid-19 pandemic in the Asia-Pacific region was at a âcritical phaseâ and everything...
dpa ManilaThe World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Wednesday the Covid-19 pandemic in the Asia-Pacific region was at a âcritical phaseâ and everything must be done to limit transmission now to avoid more dangerous variants from emerging.Takeshi Kasai, regional director for WHOâs Western Pacific region, noted that the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Asia-Pacific countries âare rising sharply,â mainly due to the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus.In the first three weeks of August, the region accounted for 10 per cent of global Covid-19 cases and more than 8 per cent of global deaths, he said.âAt this critical phase in the pandemic, let us stay the course,â he said in an online press conference. âWorking together, we can take control.â âIt is within our power to reduce the threat of the virus by making the most of every tool we have to fight it today.â With the surges being experienced by several countries in the region, two scenarios were possible in the coming months, Kasai said.The first scenario is one in which the risk of Covid-19 is reduced and can be managed like seasonal influenza and other vaccine-preventable diseases, with vaccinations, prevention measures and short, targeted measures against flare-ups, he said.âThe second scenario is where other more dangerous variants are able to evolve, variants that spread even more easily, cause more severe diseases or are resistant to existing vaccines,â he said.âThis scenario and all of the associated health, social, and economic costs is ... the one we want to avoid if possible,â he added.âThe best way we can do this is by doing everything we can to limit the transmission now,â he said. âLike other viruses, the more people are infected, the more the virus which causes Covid-19, can evolve.â Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam were four countries with the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, said Tamano Matsui, an emergency information and risk assessment manager at the WHO regional office.On the other hand, China, Singapore and Mongolia have lower cases amid stringent public health and social-distancing measures and high vaccination rates, she added.Matsui said the factors that have contributed to the increase in Covid-19 cases in the region was the spread of the Delta variant, insufficient or non-compliance with public health and social measures and difficulty in detecting asymptomatic or mild cases.âThe Delta variant is now a real threat, which is testing the capacity of even the strongest public health systems in our region,â Kasai said. âEvery country needs to continue doing all that it can to control the virus.âMore Related News