Premature & unrealistic to think Covid-19 will end soon: WHO

The World Health Organization on Monday said it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year. Director of WHO's emergencies programme Dr Michael Ryan, however, said that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalisations and death. He added that the world's singular focus right now should be to keep transmission of Covid-19 as low as possible.

“If we're smart, we can finish with the hospitalisations and the deaths and the tragedy associated with this pandemic” by the end of the year, he said at media briefing.

Dr Ryan said WHO was reassured by emerging data that many of the licensed vaccines appear to be helping curb the virus' explosive spread.