• In Peru the Lambda variant emerges: for WHO it is "variant of interest"

  • A video from Australian TV embarrasses WHO: "Live bats in Wuhan laboratories"

  • G7 leaders will ask WHO for a new investigation into the origins of the coronavirus

  • WHO, the Covid variants will be indicated with letters of the Greek alphabet

Share

by Tiziana Di Giovannandrea

18 June 2021 Hans Kluge, director of the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe, takes stock of the Delta variant of the Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2 and its presence in Europe. The Delta variant of the mutant virus was first identified in India. 



"The Delta concern variant has now been reported by 29 out of 53 countries in the WHO European Region. Remember: wear a mask, wash your hands and observe the distance," writes Kluge, in a tweet recalling the importance of respecting the anti-contagion measures and not to let your guard down.



"With Delta virus variant he still has the best, we need attention: we are not out of danger yet" 


The expert, moreover, in a recent interview with the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle explained that "the fact that there is a rapid spread of the Delta variant means that the virus still prevails" adding: "When can we return to work as As usual? Simple, get vaccinated when it's your turn. 32% of people in the WHO European Region have received a dose, far from our 80% vaccination coverage target. " Kluge then calls for caution in the face of the progressive lifting of the anti-Covid restrictions in progress in European countries as "we need attention, we are not out of danger yet". "We must be very attentive to large mass events, especially if they take place without the use of the mask, which still remains a risk",he pointed out, although the situation has improved in Europe, with declining numbers regarding new infections, hospitalizations and deaths.



Kluge added: "I understand that no one wants to give up another summer, but we shouldn't pay for it with another winter in lockdown." Asked when the situation could return to normal, the director said it was "difficult to give an indication". Although, he added, "our experts in the European region have 80%" of the vaccinated population as a reference threshold.



Trend in Africa is very worrying


The trend of the Covid epidemic in Africa is "very worrying". This was stated by the executive director of the World Health Organization (WHO), Mark Ryan. According to the numbers, the African continent is not in bad shape, in the last week it recorded only 5% of world cases and 2.2% of deaths from Coronavirus. However, due to the number of underestimated infections, "the trajectory is very, very worrying", he stressed.