Virus Will Be With Us For Long Time: WHO

Most people on the planet remain susceptible to COVID-19 andCOVID-19 will stalk the planet for a long time to come, the WHO said Wednesday,warning that most countries were still in the early stages of tackling thepandemic.

WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said some countries thatthought they had the new coronavirus under control were witnessing a resurgencein cases, while there were troubling upward trends in Africa and the Americas.

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros. https://t.co/u8sWlKpEXk

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) April 22, 2020

He also insisted that the UN health agency had declared aglobal emergency in good time on January 30 for countries to prepare and plantheir response.

The body has been heavily criticised by the United Statesfor its handling of the pandemic but Tedros brushed off calls for him toresign.

Speaking at a news conference in Geneva, Dr Tedros AdhanomGhebreyesus said the easing of movement restrictions does not mark the"the end of epidemic" for any country.

"Most of the epidemics in western Europe appear to bestable or declining," Tedros told a virtual press conference in Geneva.

"Although numbers are low, we see worrying upwardtrends in Africa, Central and South America, and eastern Europe."

"Most countries are still in the early stages of theirepidemics. And some that were affected early in the pandemic are now startingto see a resurgence in cases.

"Make no mistake: we have a long way to go. This viruswill be with us for a long time."

The global death count has passed 175,000, according to atally from official sources compiled by AFP, while more than 2.5 milliondeclared cases have been registered since the epidemic first emerged in Chinain December.

Tedros was pressed on whether the WHO had acted swiftlyenough.

"Looking back, I think we declared the emergency at theright time" on January 30, he said, adding that the world "had enoughtime to respond"