COVID-19 pandemic continues to infect hundreds of thousands, and killing over 15,000 people in the world. Because of this, world leaders have set their respective measures to mitigate infectious disease from spreading fast.
However, a top emergency expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday, countries cannot just lock down their respective societies to combat COVID-19. The expert also said that public measures should also prevent the revival of the said virus in the future.
Mike Ryan, the WHO official said in an interview that, what people should really focus on is to search for the sick, specifically those with COVID-19, isolate them, look for their contacts, "and isolate them."
He also added the danger of lockdowns at present is that "if we don't put in place" the strong measures for public health now when those limitations with lockdowns and movements have been lifted, the danger is illness is expected to "jump back up.
Citing Nations as Examples
Much of the United States and Europe have followed China, the source of COVID-19, and other Asian nations, and introduced radical limitations to combat the virus, with most employees ordered to work from home, and pubs, restaurants, bars, and schools being closed.
Ryan also said that the examples of South Korea, Singapore, and China which paired restrictions with strict measures to test ever probable suspect, provided Europe with a model, which the organization said, has substituted Asia as the pandemic's epicenter.
Furthermore, Ryan also said that once the transmission has been suppressed, there is a need to go after the infection. He emphasized the need to combat COVID-19, as well.
As for Italy, the country is currently the worst-hit nation globally, by the virus. Relatively, Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the UK warned that the health system of Britain could be overwhelmed unless social interactions are avoided by the people.
More so, Robert Jenrick, the British housing minister said that tests' production is expected to double in the coming week and increase even more, after that.
Will Vaccines Help?
Also according to Ryan, several vaccines have already been developed but only one has started its trials in the US. And when asked how long would it take for the vaccines to be available in Britain, the WHO expert said, there is a need for the people to be realistic, explaining that there is a need to guarantee that the vaccine is "absolutely safe." And to answer the question, Ryan said, they were talking at least one year, for the vaccine's availability. He also added vaccines would come, but there is a need to get out and do what is necessary.
Last week, it was reported that a clinical trial, which was on its first stage, was examining an "investigational vaccine" developed to combat COVID-19.
Funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the open-label test also called mRNA-1273, according to the report, has started at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute (KPWHRI).
It would enroll 45 healthy volunteers aged 18 to 55 years old over around six weeks. As of this writing, COVID-19 has already infected 351,609 and killed 15,361 people.
