WHO Warns Of New Dangerous COVID Variants – Free PDF Download

What has happened?

• The World Health Organization’s emergency committee on Covid-19 on Thursday warned that the pandemic was not over and that it continued to evolve with four variants of concern.

What the emergency committee said?

• “The committee recognised the strong likelihood for the emergence and global spread of new and possibly more dangerous variants of concern that may be even more challenging to control,” the panel said in a statement.
• The committee said that the pandemic was still an “extraordinary event” that continues to hurt public health, and needs a coordinated international response.
• The statement also said that the committee emphasised on the risk of emergency of new zoonotic diseases during the pandemic.
• Zoonotic diseases are caused by germs that spread between animals and people, according to United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Animals usually spread it to people and cause illness.

significance

• The statement came amid a surge in Delta variant cases around the world.
• Earlier in the day, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had told the emergency committee that the Delta variant is now found in more than 111 countries and
• Is expected that it will soon be the dominant Covid-19 strain circulating worldwide.
• He also highlighted that the situation is worse in the countries that are struggling to vaccinate their citizens, especially the third- world and poor countries.
• His warning has come as the Covid related deaths have once again started increasing after observing a decline of only 10 days.
• He also stressed that the countries which had managed to stay clear of the first few waves of COVID-19 can also be targeted by the deadly variant.
• The global health body had designated the Delta strain, as a variant of concern on May 11.
• In June, WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan had said the Delta variant was becoming the dominant variant globally “because of its significantly increased transmissibility”.

• During a press conference regarding the coronavirus situation in the country, Dr VK Paul, Member-Health, Niti Aayog, said,
• “Situation in most of the regions has turned from bad to worse. Overall, the world is moving towards a third wave. WHO’s warning over a third wave can’t be taken for granted, it is a red flag.”
• In the same press conference, Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Union Health Ministry, said, analysis shows a projected decline in the use of face masks as we resume activities. We should incorporate the use of face masks in our lives as a new normal.
• Paul further added, “Our vaccines are effective and hugely safe and people with comorbidities, pregnant and lactating women must also take them. However, we cannot be fully dependent on vaccines, need to mask up as well.”

What WHO committee said on Vaccines?

• The committee told the countries associated with the WHO to achieve the global health body’s call to action to have at least 10% of all countries’ populations vaccinated by September 2021.
• “Noting that many countries have now vaccinated their priority populations,
• It is recommended that doses should be shared with countries that have limited access before expanding national vaccination programmes into lower risk groups,” it said.

• The world is moving towards a third wave and this is a fact.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi too has asked us to take this as a red flag… the PM has given us the target to stall the third wave and it is possible,“
• Dr Paul said during the press briefing of the Union health ministry.
• Spain has seen a 64% hike in weekly Covid-19 cases while the Netherlands has recorded a 300% spike in Covid-19 cases.
• The situation was stable in Thailand for a long time but now it is also reporting a spike.
• Africa too has clocked a 50% increase in Covid-19 cases, the ministry said.
• Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh too are now seeing an unprecedented spike, the ministry said.
• Just 73 districts recorded more than 100 cases daily in the week ending on July 14, it also said.
• The slow decline in number of coronavirus daily cases is a warning for the country that,
• The situation is currently under control but it can deteriorate if Covid appropriate behaviour not followed, the government said.

Q) The 1918 flu pandemic, also called the Spanish Flu was caused by?

1. H1N1 influenza A virus
2. SARS coronavirus
3. Influenza C virus
4. Simian virus 5

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