COVID-19: UpdateWHO Extends COVID-19 Emergency; Cases Soar in Brazil, Russia

The World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 emergency committee met yesterday to review the latest pandemic developments, and the WHO’s director-general yesterday accepted the group’s recommendation that the event still warrants a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) under the International Health Regulations.

The global total rose to 3,329,740 cases yesterday in 187 countries, and at least 237,647 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.

Public Health Emergency Extended
The WHO first declared the PHEIC on Jan 30, and the emergency committee typically reviews the developments and reviews its recommendations every 3 months, or more often, as needed. CIDRAP reports that at a media telebriefing yesterday, Didier Houssin, MD, who chairs the panel, said the group heard updates from each of the WHO’s six regions and got the global view from the WHO headquarters. He said the event is clearly still a PHEIC and that the pandemic is not finished.

The group addressed more than 20 recommendations, some directed at the WHO and others geared toward all member countries. The committee voiced concerns about the impact of food and other supplies to fragile countries, due to interruptions in cargo shipments due to travel restrictions. It urged the WHO, for example, to develop guidance for the gradual return of passenger travel and update recommendations on appropriate travel measures with an eye toward analyzing the effects on international COVID-19 transmission.

Also, the committee urged the WHO to encourage global animal health groups to identify the animal source of the virus and how it jumped to humans.

For countries, for example, the WHO experts urged nations to support WHO leadership and collaborate with the WHO at all levels and to document and share lessons learned from steps to control the pandemic, including applying and lifting public health measures.

At the briefing, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, the WHO’s director-general, said the agency appreciates the committee’s confidence and trust and accepted the group’s recommendations. He again urged countries to take a comprehensive approach to battling the pandemic.

WHO Details EIB Funding Partnership
In another development, Tedros said a pledging conference will be held on May 4 to fund the recently announced Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, a massive global effort to fast-track and scale-up the development of vaccine and drugs and make them available to countries that need them the most.