LONDON, UK — The head of the World Health Organization has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening globally and things won’t return to “the old normal” for some time.
At a press briefing Monday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “there will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future.”
Tedros said that while numerous countries, especially in Europe and Asia, have brought outbreaks under control, too many others are seeing virus trends move in the wrong direction.
Tedros also chastised political leaders for mixed messages about outbreaks that damage trust, without referring to any politicians by name.
Tedros called for countries to adopt a comprehensive strategy to curb the soaring caseloads in many countries, noting that about half of all the new cases are now coming from the Americas.
Still, Tedros said there was a roadmap out of the pandemic and that it’s never too late to control its spread even in places with the explosive transmission.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
The United States has more than 3.3 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, according to statistics from Johns Hopkins University.
Just after 11:30 a.m. EDT Monday, the U.S. had 135,000 deaths from the virus. Worldwide, there are more than 12.9 million confirmed cases with more than 569,000 deaths.
