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-Editorial
The World Health Organization warned world leaders that they will need to manage around the coronavirus for the foreseeable future.
“Make no mistake, we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
Globally, almost 2.5 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 160,000 deaths.
“People in countries with stay-at-home orders are understandably frustrated with being confined to their homes for weeks on end. People understandably want to get on with their lives. But the world will not and can not go back to the way things were. There must be a new normal.”
Although numbers are low, WHO sees worrying upward trends in Africa, Central and South America, and Eastern Europe since some countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics.
“But this virus remains extremely dangerous,” he said. “Early evidence suggests most of the world’s population remains susceptible. That means epidemics can easily re-ignite.”
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he understands the frustrations of the people for the Stay-At-Home orders but said people must abide by them in order to defeat COVID-19.
“But the world will not and cannot go back to the way things were. There must be a “new normal” – a world that is healthier, safer, and better prepared. The same public health measures we have been advocating since the beginning of the pandemic must remain the backbone of the response in all countries.”
