WHO Warns Against “The Politicization” Of COVID-19

By Erica Nsunjo / Published October 27, 2020 | 12:03 pm

Cases of COVID-19 have continued to rise in Kenya. The Ministry of Health says the third wave might be worse than anticipated.

The World Health Organization Monday once again warned nations against “the politicization” of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it has led to confusion and disrespect for science and made the pandemic worse.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, “Where there has been political division at the national level; where there has been blatant disrespect for science and health professionals, confusion has spread, and cases and deaths have mounted.”

Tedros said countries that have followed the science without unnecessary politicization have suppressed the virus and minimized deaths, he added that “what will save lives is science, solutions, and solidarity.”

Tedros Added, in recent days, several leaders around the world critically evaluated their situations and took action, such as implementing lockdowns, working and studying from home, and other restrictions to try to limit the spread of the virus.

General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged citizens to stop blaming and criticizing their governments for the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic or the measure being imposed to combat its spread.

WHO understands how these restrictions lead to “pandemic fatigue,” and the very real mental and physical toll they take on people. But he said governments and citizens cannot give up, noting there are no “magic solutions” to the outbreak just hard work from leaders and society at all levels.

“Science continues to tell us the truth about this virus. How to contain it, suppress it and stop it from returning, and how to save lives among those it reaches,” said the WHO chief.

WHO Director-General said last week saw the highest number of COVID-19 cases reported since the pandemic began. Many northern hemisphere nations are also seeing a rise in hospitalizations, with intensive care units filling up in Europe and North America.

Current News On COVID-19 Global Cases

According to current data compiled by the CSSE at Johns Hopkins University, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the globe exceeded 40 million.

Johns Hopkins University, which collates the COVID-19 reports from around the world, released a report indication 40,076,184 confirmed cases of the virus, globally.

A Reutter’s tally showed that there was an average of around 347,000 cases each day over the past week, compared with 292,000 in the first week of October.

The data also showed that globally, more than 1.1 million have been confirmed to have succumbed to the COVID-19 virus although experts still believe that number is an undercount and there is more.

About Erica Nsunjo

Nsunjo Erica is a Practicing Journalist / Activist / Patriot / Practicing Politician / Practicing Entrepreneur / aspiring Lawyer, and a proud Ugandan. Because the journey is not static, I am molding it accordingly.

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