WHO: Only 10% of people in the world infected with coronavirus! Risk still looms high!
Coronavirus figures that are taken from different countries of the world total up to around 35.5 million. However WHO estimates that there is an underreporting.
And the figures for infection are much higher. Yet, only 10% of the world’s people are infected. But this is not a good sign. It implies that coronavirus still has a vast fertile land to spread and its story is far from over.
Coronavirus and the World Infection Rate
WHO states that it has done estimates and probability studies of likely people infected worldwide. And its best estimates reveal that yet only 1 in 10 people are infected with the virus.
But for the coronavirus pandemic, this is not a good sign. It implies that there is no significant herd immunity still in the world population. Therefore, the virus has avenues to spread attack, and kill. The pandemic is far from over.
Michael Ryan, a doctor and the head of emergencies at the United Nations’ health agency gave these details at a special meeting of the agency’s executive board that deals with COVID-19. He said:
“Our current best estimates tell us that about 10 percent of the global population may have been infected by this virus,”
WHO: The world figures are an underestimate
Michael said these figures vary from urban to rural areas and between different categories of people. But he said that it implies that the majority of the world is still at risk.
Hence, the worldwide spread of the deadly virus would continue unabated for the time being. One has to halt it with the limited tools available at hand.
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WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus who was at the meeting led a moment of silence for the dead victims and expressed gratitude to the frontline health workers.
There are rising cases in Southeast Asia and increasing deaths in Europe and the eastern Mediterranean areas.
At a 10% infection rate, it means that more than 760 million people in the world are infected. But the world figures are only 35.5 million and hence an underestimate. Experts have long been stressing this underreporting in the world.
How was the 10% estimate reached?
WHO gave details about how they reached this figure of 10%. Dr. Margaret Harris, a WHO spokesperson explained that it was based on the average of the antibody studies carried out in the world.
This number is minimal and one should not be happy with it. More people still remain untouched by the virus. They are at grave risk, not to mention the chances of reinfection or reactivation in people already infected with the virus.
Hence, it is of utmost importance that we have to take the available measures to contain the virus continuously. In this, contact tracing plays a very crucial role and should be done diligently even though difficult.
Health officials should closely monitor the movement and spread of the cases and implement measures to curb it.
Also, read NEJM commentary: Is face mask a form of crude COVID-19 vaccine?