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What does the WHO propose about the COVID-19 pandemic for 2022?
2022 is the starting point for what corresponds to the countdown to the third year in a pandemic. Almost 3 years in which humanity has had to adapt to the new "relative normality" and deal with the secondary effects of confinement.
Fortunately, the World Health Organization predicts a favorable scenario for these new 365 days.
The statement of Dr. Tedros Adhanom that keeps hope alive
WHO is currently headed by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus since 2017. In essence, he is a 56-year-old biologist from Ethiopia who also has specialties in public health.
In the final days of last year 2021, he appeared publicly before the world to report on the pandemic and other relevant data. Surprisingly, Tedros clarified that there is a high probability that, in 2022, it can be controlled and reach an end point.
Within the framework of his statements, he also took the opportunity to talk about the future of the organization. He delimited the upcoming goals for 2022 and, again, stressed that the pandemic will only come to an end with the global effort.
“We are approaching the end of the year (2021) where we commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the pandemic. It is a reminder of all that we have achieved, gained and lost throughout this time.” — Tedros declared openly.
The balance so far of the health action against the coronavirus
For his part, the Ethiopian biologist offered an extraordinary balance on the entire process of the health attack against the pandemic. To date, approximately more than 8 billion people around the planet have been vaccinated.
A figure that is progressively getting closer to the primary objective to be achieved: the famous “herd immunity”. It consists of obtaining 70% of vaccinated worldwide to reduce risks and other unfavorable scenarios.
At the same time, he praised the speed with which countries have developed their immunization plans.
Additionally, he emphasized the launch and development of recent therapeutic methods to reduce mortality from COVID-19. On the other hand, he commented on the successful certification of up to 10 emergency vaccines to deal with the disease.
What is known about herd immunity?
Also known as the "herd effect" or "mass immunity", it is the greatest form of immune protection for a population.
It is defined as the sufficient percentage (around 70%) of people who have been exposed to an infectious disease either by contagion or vaccines.
As a result, they have acquired an "immune" character that makes this percentage of the population less susceptible to certain pathologies. In this way, when herd immunity is achieved, the probabilities that non-immunized individuals will be affected also decrease.
In another vein, it prevents the disease from spreading normally by cutting, at a good pace, its contagion mechanisms. In short, its transmissibility variants are altered to such an extent that its propagation becomes scarce.
In this regard, Tedros and the WHO predict that by July 2022 humanity will be close to 70% of those vaccinated. It even asserts that the figure could be far exceeded if cooperation between nations dramatically increases in the new year.
“I am sure that this year we will definitively end the pandemic. Now that we are entering the third anniversary of her, it is time to all work together to achieve the goal”. — Tedros announced.
Still, Tedros throws a forceful warning message
The WHO proclamation regarding its positivity for the end of the pandemic in 2022, is something that has been around the world. However, the director of the main international health entity, was also forceful in another sense.
"It is true that we have many new ways to treat and prevent COVID-19, but no country is out of danger from the pandemic."
For his part, he harshly criticized some governments of narrow nationalism where counterproductive eventualities have arisen. Facts that have slowed progress towards an important solution and that have contributed to the emergence of variants such as delta and omicron.
“Now we are experiencing a hoarding of vaccines that have undermined equity and the reconciliation of a quick exit from the pandemic. As long as this continues, the ideal conditions are created for the birth of other variants such as delta and omicron”. — Tedros sentenced.
In other concerns, he did not hesitate to criticize harshly the illogicality of the beginning of reinforcement programs. While in some countries only 8.5% have been vaccinated with the first dose, in others the third is already a fact.
The conclusion of the message issued by the director of the WHO
Since the establishment of lockdown for the pandemic, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 5 million people. Although in contrast it is a lower percentage with the number of infected (289 million individuals), they are still sensitive losses.
It draws powerfully attention as the main world power has the highest rate of infected. The United States leads the ranking with more than 50 million confirmed positive cases and approximately 825 thousand deaths.
However, not everything is a totally gray picture based on what was raised by the WHO in the recent statements of its director. He himself has argued that after this two-year cycle, the scientific community already knows exactly the pathogen.
“It has been a long and painful process, but with these acquired capacities we now understand more. We are definitely closer to leaving this pandemic behind and reversing forever." — Said the director of the World Health Organization.
He also called for calm regarding omicron
The omicron variant has been in the main focus of the media, spreading all kinds of information about it. The truth is that, after the first successful probes, the causative disease produces mild symptoms similar to a common flu.
When compared to previous variants, it is the least worrisome so far when it comes to severe symptoms. On the other hand, the fear that it carries with it is its rapid transmission capacity and the flexibility of the population for the end of the year festivities.
Advantageously, new approaches regarding the use of masks, distancing, hygiene and other methodologies are reaching their peak. Hand in hand with these methods, it is very likely that cases will return to their plateau and decline once again.
