Corona crisis may get worse if countries fail to follow precautions: WHO

GENEVA (REUTERS): The World Health Organisation has warned that the coronavirus pandemic will worsen if countries fail to follow strict healthcare precautions.

Addressing a virtual briefing today (Monday) in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom said, “Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one.”

“If the basics are not followed strictly, the only way this pandemic is going to go – it is going to get worse and worse and worse,” WHO Director-General Tedros added.

Commenting on the reported infections, the WHO Director-General informed that almost 230,000 new infections were reported on Sunday. “50 percent were from 10 nations, while 50 percent from just two countries (Brazil and the United States).

The WHO Director-General also said, “There will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future. There is a lot to be concerned about.”

Tedros Adhanom said that the WHO had still not received formal notification of the US pullout announced by Trump. The US president says the WHO pandered to China at the start of the crisis.

Tedros Adhanom’s leadership was heavily criticised by the United States President Donald Trump. Several political opponents had accused Trump of not taking the coronavirus seriously enough.

A WHO advance team has gone to China to investigate the origins of the new coronavirus. The team’s members are in quarantine before they begin work with Chinese scientists.