WHO warns over virus immunity as global death toll nears 200,000
26 April, 2020
The World Health Organization warned on Saturday that recovering from coronavirus might not protect persons from reinfection as the death toll from the pandemic approached 200,000 around the world.
Governments are struggling to limit the monetary devastation unleashed by the virus, which includes left half of humanity under some type of lockdown and reported infections approaching three million.
The US has joined world leaders to increase development of a vaccine, but effective treatments for COVID-19, the condition caused by coronavirus, are still far off.
But with signs the condition is peaking in the U.S. and Europe, governments are beginning to ease restrictions, weighing the necessity for economic recovery against cautions that lifting them too soon risks another wave of infections.
The WHO warned on Saturday that there was still no evidence that persons who test positive for the brand new coronavirus and recover are immunized and protected against reinfection.
The warning came as some governments study measures such as for example "immunity passports" or documents for many who have recovered as you way to get persons back again to work after weeks of economic shutdown.
"There is currently no evidence that persons who have recovered from #COVID19 and have antibodies are protected from another infection," WHO said in a statement.
"People who assume they are immune to another infection because they have obtained a positive test result may ignore public health advice," it said.
With more than four billion persons still on lockdown or stay-at-home orders, governments are debating how exactly to steadily lift curbs, reopen schools, restart businesses and reboot economies without triggering a spike in virus cases.
Some of that discussion centers on new mobile phone software to alert persons to infections, mass antibody testing -- to determine who has had the virus and may be immune -- and the general public make use of face masks to stop transmission.
"If I've already had corona then I'm not infectious," said Berlin resident Lothar Kopp, hoping to test positive for antibodies since it could allow him to visit his elderly mother.
Germany has carried out tens of thousands of tests and other countries are also working on determining what could be their so-called level of immunity.
But on Friday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for international organisations, world leaders and the private sector to become listed on an unprecedented effort to increase development and distribution of a vaccine.
"We face a worldwide public enemy like no other," the U.N. chief told a virtual briefing. "A global free from COVID-19 requires the most massive public health effort ever sold."
Any vaccine should be safe, affordable and open to all, Guterres said at the meeting, which was attended by the leaders of Germany and France.
Absent though were the leaders of China, where in fact the virus first emerged late last year, and america, which includes accused the WHO of not warning quickly enough about the original outbreak.
The daily death toll in Western countries appears to be falling, an indicator hopeful epidemiologists have been looking for, however the WHO has warned that other nations remain in the early stages of the fight.
Global COVID-19 deaths have climbed past 197,000, according to an AFP tally, but new reported cases appear to have levelled off at about 80,000 a day.
The United States may be the hardest-hit country by far in the pandemic, recording a lot more than 51,500 deaths and over 890,000 detected infections.
In a sign of potential risks of reopening, Iranian health officials Saturday also raised fears of a "fresh outbreak" with another 76 fatalities declared, bringing Iran's official death toll to 5,650.
Iran has steadily allowed the restarting of businesses which were closed to avoid the virus spread. But Alireza Zali, a health coordinator for the administrative centre, criticized "hasty reopenings" that could "create new waves of sickness in Tehran".
The U.N. push for an instant vaccine came a day after U.S. President Donald Trump prompted outcry and ridicule with his suggestion that disinfectants be used to take care of coronavirus patients.
As authorities -- and disinfectant manufacturers -- rushed to caution against such dangerous experiment, the president tried to row back on his comments, saying he had been speaking "sarcastically".
The world's biggest economy has been hammered by the pandemic, with 26 million jobs lost because the crisis began, and U.S. leaders are under great pressure to find methods to ease social distancing measures.
The governor of Georgia allowed some businesses, including nail salons and bowling alleys, to reopen on Friday.
The mayor of the state's capital Atlanta condemned the "irresponsible" move, telling ABC News: "There is nothing essential about likely to a bowling alley or giving a manicure in the middle of a pandemic."
The unprecedented situation has left the world looking at its worst downturn since the Great Depression, and beyond the U.S., other countries have previously started loosening restrictions to make contact with work.
Italy -- with the second highest virus death toll at practically 30,000 -- announced plans Saturday to create price limits on face masks and ramp up antibody testing since it nears the finish of the world's longest active national coronavirus lockdown.
Italians are awaiting a decision this weekend about which of its restrictions will be lifted and they'll probably be permitted to leave their homes freely for the first time since March 9 by early May.
Some professional Italian cyclists like Umberto Marengo have previously adapted to long lockdown by turning to making food deliveries on his bike over the northern city of Turin as a way to stay fit and help you.
"The customers are all amazed," Marengo said. "Especially since I always try to rise by the stairs to remain that tiny bit fitter."
Sri Lanka said it would lift a nationwide curfew on Monday after a lot more than five weeks, as Belgium joined other European nations to announce an easing from mid-May.
In France, which will be on lockdown until May 11, residents still confined to home took to praising health staff and protesting their frustrations with officials on painted banners hung outside their windows.
"Many thanks to the caregivers, shame on the leaders" read one banner hanging outside a building in a Paris suburb.
On the far side of the world in Australia and New Zealand, persons held vigils from the isolation of their own driveways to pay tribute to their war veterans on Anzac Day. Official memorials were nowadays.
Across the Muslim world, hundreds of millions of faithful also opened the Ramadan holy month under stay-at-home conditions, facing unprecedented bans on prayers in mosques and on the traditional large gatherings of families and friends to break the daily fast.
Source: japantoday.com
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