The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern over the increasing number of coronavirus deaths in various countries. According to the WHO, more than 170,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the past eight weeks alone. During a media briefing on global health issues, the Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Ghebreyesus, announced that the Emergency Committee on COVID-19 would convene this week to evaluate whether the current situation still qualifies as a global emergency.
As of January 23, 2023, there have been 664,097,132 confirmed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, resulting in 6,716,108 reported deaths. Dr. Ghebreyesus noted that since early December, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 has been on the rise. He emphasized that the reported deaths represent only a fraction of the actual toll, stating, “In total, in the past eight weeks, more than 170,000 people have died of COVID-19. That’s just reported deaths; the actual number of deaths is much higher.”
Reflecting on the timeline, Dr. Ghebreyesus pointed out that it has been almost three years since the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, which is the WHO’s highest level of alert. He reiterated his concerns about the situation in many countries and the increasing death toll, stating, “While I will not pre-empt the advice of the Emergency Committee, I remain very concerned by the situation in many countries and the rising number of deaths.”
Additionally, he highlighted that too few individuals, particularly older adults and healthcare workers, are adequately vaccinated. Dr. Ghebreyesus also warned about the prevalence of misinformation and pseudo-science, which he believes undermines trust in safe and effective COVID-19 tools. He cautioned that the virus should not be underestimated.
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