Second year of pandemic ‘could be even more difficult’: Ryan, WHO

GENEVA (Reuters) – The second year of the COVID-19 pandemic may be more difficult than the first due to the way the new coronavirus is spreading, especially in the northern hemisphere as more infectious variants circulate, the World Health Organization said. Health (WHO) on Wednesday.

“We are entering a second year, it may be even more difficult due to the dynamics of transmission and some of the problems we are seeing,” said Mike Ryan, WHO’s chief emergency officer, during an event on social media.

The death toll worldwide is approaching 2 million people since the start of the pandemic, with 91.5 million people infected.

The WHO, in its latest epidemiological update published overnight, said that after two weeks of fewer cases being reported, about five million new cases were reported last week, the likely result of a drop in defenses during the vacation when people – and the virus – came along.

“Certainly in the northern hemisphere, particularly in Europe and North America, we saw that kind of perfect storm of the season – cold, people coming in, increased social mix and a combination of factors that drove increased transmission in many, many countries, “Ryan said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical leader for COVID-19, warned: “After the holidays, in some countries the situation will get much worse before it gets better.”

Amid growing fears about the most contagious coronavirus variant first detected in Britain but now consolidated worldwide, governments across Europe on Wednesday announced stricter and longer restrictions.

This includes home office requirements and store closings in Switzerland, an extensive state of emergency for Italian COVID-19 and German efforts to further reduce contacts between people accused of failed efforts so far to bring coronavirus under control.

“I am concerned that we will remain in this peak and valley and peak and valley pattern, and we can do better,” said Van Kerkhove.

She called for maintaining physical distance, adding, “The farther the better … but make sure you keep that distance from people outside your immediate home.”