‘Still not over’: WHO cautions of COVID-19 threat ahead of summer holidays after US President Joe Biden tests positive

New Delhi: With US President Joe Biden testing positive for COVID-19 before the Presidential elections, the World Health Organisation has warned the public that Covid is still not over. The WHO cautioned people not to forget that the disease is still widespread and deadly, killing 1700 people every week across the globe.

The World Health Organisation has warned that anyone planning a summer holiday this year should take COVID precautions, including a vaccine, mask, and testing.

According to a WHO statement on July 15, 2024, during the four-week reporting period from May 27 to June 23, 2024, the SARS-CoV-2 PCR per cent positivity increased from 5.6 to 7.1 per cent across 84 countries. During this period, 16,888 specimens were tested for SARS-CoV-2 each week.

KP.3 and LB.1, descendent lineages of JN.1 and variants under monitoring (VUMs) showed an increasing prevalence globally.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus issued a warning, stating that vaccination rates among health professionals and the over-60s—two demographics most at risk of dying from COVID—are alarmingly falling.

“WHO recommends that people in the highest-risk groups receive a COVID-19 vaccine within 12 months of their last dose,” Tedros said.

In the UK, some hospitals have reinstated the requirement for mask wearers, and others are requesting that anyone with COVID-19 symptoms who does not need medical attention avoid the area. Following many Covid cases, the Tour de France has mandated that all participants wear masks when interacting with teams or competitors.

The WHO has received reports of about seven million COVID-19 deaths; however, it is believed that the actual number of deaths from the epidemic is much greater. Additionally, COVID-19 destroyed health systems and tore apart economies. After more than three years, in May 2023, Tedros declared the end of the COVID-19 international public health emergency. The virus was initially discovered in late 2019 in Wuhan, China.

COVID-19 Vaccination Insights Report

WHO published the latest COVID-19 Vaccination Insights Report for quarter one (January-March) 2024. Globally, 9.8 million individuals received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine across 73 reporting Member States (MS), which contain 22 per cent of the global population. Among older adults, 4.9 million received a dose across the 60 MS reporting on uptake in this group, corresponding to an uptake rate of 0.42 per cent this year.

While in solitude, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reassured the public that Biden, who has received booster shots, is still carrying out his presidential duties. The president's doctor, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, verified that Biden's symptoms remain moderate.