WHO: "We Cannot Talk about Covid in the Past Tense"

Dr. Tedros said this in the WHO Director-General's opening remarks at Tuesday's media briefing where he also suggested that over 20 million people have died from SARS-CoV-2 so far, and we're still averaging 1,000 deaths each week just from countries that still report.

The full transcript is here. He starts by discussing some diseases eliminated from some countries and other good news, then turns to the conflicts costing so many lives and the threat of pandemics from mpox, Marburg, H5N1, and a mysterious new outbreak in the Congo, and an increase in deaths from cholera, measles, and diabetes. And then he got to Covid. Here's that part (video clip here):

"The end of this month, the 31st of December, will mark the fifth anniversary of the first reports to WHO of pneumonia caused by a then-unknown pathogen. In the past five years, more than 7 million deaths from Covid-19 have been reported to WHO, but we estimate the true death toll to be at least three times higher. We cannot talk about Covid in the past tense. It’s still with us, it still causes acute disease and “long Covid”, and it still kills. On average this year, about 1,000 deaths from Covid-19 have been reported to WHO each week – and that’s just from the few countries that are still reporting. 

The world might want to forget about Covid-19, but we cannot afford to. WHO continues to support countries to prevent and manage Covid-19 alongside other health threats. Today, WHO is releasing a package of policy briefs [outlined below] to help countries update their policies to monitor and reduce circulation of Covid-19, and to reduce illness, death, and long-term consequences of the disease. 

One of the questions I am asked most often is, Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic than we were for Covid-19? The answer is yes and no. If the next pandemic arrived today, the world would still face some of the same weaknesses and vulnerabilities that gave Covid-19 a foothold five years ago. But the world has also learned many of the painful lessons the pandemic taught us, and has taken significant steps to strengthen its defences against future epidemics and pandemics. Together with the World Bank, WHO established the Pandemic Fund, which is now financing 19 projects in 37 countries, with 338 million US dollars in grants. WHO has supported many countries to strengthen their lab capacity to detect and sequence pathogens, and we established the WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Germany to foster collaborative surveillance. To improve local production of vaccines and other medical products, we established the mRNA Technology Transfer Hub in South Africa and a Global Training Hub for Biomanufacturing in the Republic of Korea; to improve equitable access to lifesaving tools we established an interim Medical Countermeasures Network; with partners we established the Global Health Emergency Corps; in May this year, the World Health Assembly adopted a package of amendments to the International Health Regulations, and, as you know, our Member States continue to negotiate the WHO Pandemic Agreement. They are committed to finalizing the Agreement in time for the World Health Assembly next May; I remain confident that they will."

Policy Brief on Surveillance -- "Countries are advised to sustain collaborative surveillance for Covid-19. . . . Integration of Covid-19 surveillance with surveillance for other respiratory infections should be prioritized. . . . Countries are urged to maintain operational readiness for surges of Covid-19. . . . WHO encourages its Member States to improve data linkage, share data and experiences, and explore more innovative and collaborative approaches to timely detection of outbreaks."

So maybe don't dismantle wastewater testing, like Ontario.

Policy Brief on Covid-19 Testing -- "WHO recommends that its Member States continue to offering testing for Covid-19 . . . to support and enhance equitable access to safe, effective and quality-assured Covid-19 diagnostics for all communities. . . . Testing of suspected cases early in the disease course facilitates access to supportive care and Covid-19 therapeutics."

So, don't stop offering free rapid tests!

Policy Brief on Clinical Management of Covid-19 -- "Countries are encouraged to deliver optimal clinical care for Covid-19 ... including access to proven treatments. Individuals who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 should be immediately linked to a clinical care pathway."

Can you even imagine this being the case??? People are seeing doctors after testing positive and sometimes still being told to treat it like a cold despite so much evidence that it's very different. We have antivirals that reduce Long Covid, but, in Ontario, nobody without a pre-existing condition can access Paxlovid until they turn 60! We're letting our kids get sick without offering them medications that clearly help. Instead, people are turning to over the counter supplements, and the supplement industry is making a killing, e.g. I've been told, if you can't get Metformin, try Berberin instead. It's not the same at all, but it's all we've got!! About 50 minutes in to this video, Dr. Paul Offit claims that if you look at the Disinformation Dozen, the people who have most affected disinformation around Covid, and track where they get their money from, a lot are making money from supplements. 

Coincidence? I think not. 

Policy Brief on Covid-19 Vaccination -- "Member States are recommended to continue to offer Covid-19 vaccination ... re-vaccination of most high priority-use groups ... at an interval of 6-12 months."

We're still getting access, and it's free, but we have to cross a border to get better quality vaccinations that can be used by more people.

Policy Brief on Infection Prevention and Control -- "Ensure that infection prevention and control measures are in place ... and that health care providers receive training accordingly. ... Continue delivering optimal clinical care for patients with Covid-19, including maintaining measures to protect patients and health workers. Health care settings can amplify infectious disease outbreaks, including Covid-19. Maintaining effective infection prevention and control programmes is, therefore, paramount." 

So, masks, right?!. Say it with me, MASKS! Maybe put it in writing, even! And by masks, I really mean N95s or better, officially called respirators.  

from the Hippocratic Oath

Policy Brief on Building Trust through Risk Communication -- "The Covid-19 infodemic--which has been characterized by an overabundance of information, some of it inaccurate or outdated--continues to spread worldwide and should be addressed through evidence-based and tailored risk communication."

Hear that, public health?!?

Ontario pretty much scores 0 for 6. Maybe half a point for continuing to offer vaccines. Now that the WHO is starting to provide more accurate information and suggestions, it's too bad they're just toothless recommendations.