WHO warns of 'second peak' in areas where coronavirus declining
The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the countries witnessing a decline in coronavirus cases could still face an "immediate second peak" if they let up too soon on measures to halt the COVID-19 outbreak.
While briefing the media persons on Monday, Executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, Mike Ryan, was quoted as saying by CNN that "We are right in the middle of the first wave, globally. We're still in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up."
He told the reporters that the epidemics often come in waves, which means that outbreaks could come back later this year in places where the first wave has subsided. There is also a chance that the infection rates could rise once again in hasten manner if measures to halt the first wave were lifted too soon, he said.
"We cannot make assumptions just because the disease is on the way down now that it's going to keep going down, and we may get a second peak in this way," Mike Ryan said.
He also warned that a second peak could come during the normal influenza season, which will complicate things for the disease control."
He added that the countries in Europe and North America should "continue to put public health and social measures to contain the spread of the novel virus, 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."
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Meanwhile, the European countries and US states have recently taken measures to lift the lockdown, that curbed the spread of nCov, but caused severe harm to the economies.
Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO infectious disease epidemiologist, stated that "all the countries need to remain on high alert. All the countries need to be ready to rapidly detect rthe cases, even countries that have had success in suppression. Even countries that have seen a decline in the cases must remain careful."
-PTC News
