In a video briefing held by the World Health Organization (WHO) at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on the 1st, it revealed that the number of corona19 confirmed cases around the world rebounded after seven weeks. Thewardros Adhanom, Secretary General Gobriyosus, cited mutations and mitigation of containment as the cause of the increase in the number of confirmed cases, and said, “The quarantine measures are the basis for responding to Corona 19.” [AP=연합뉴스]
The number of new corona19 confirmed cases around the world, which declined for six consecutive weeks, rebounded again last week. It is analyzed that the decrease in the number of infected people and the beginning to lift the blockade in some areas immediately led to an increase in the number of confirmed cases.
Declining confirmed cases increased by 6.8% last week
“Impacts such as spreading mutations and easing containment measures”
According to Reuters, in a video press briefing held at the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland on the 1st (local time), the WHO announced that the number of new confirmed cases reported globally on the 22nd and 28th of last month was 2.65 million, 8823. This is an increase of 6.8% from 2.49 million,801 in the previous week (February 15-21). The WHO said, “Overall, except for parts of Africa and the Western Pacific, the number of confirmed cases has increased.”
WHO new coronavirus cases per week. Graphic = Reporter Park Kyung-min [email protected]
In the previous six weeks, the number of infections worldwide decreased by more than 10% on average. An analysis found that the number of confirmed cases turned to an increase after 7 weeks was the effect of some countries beginning to lift containment measures as the corona 19 vaccination accelerated.
“It’s disappointing, but not surprising,” said WHO Secretary-General Thewardros Adhanom, said, “Some of this seems to be due to the easing of quarantine measures, the distribution of mutations, and loose boundaries. “It is too early to give up other quarantine measures by relying on vaccines alone,” he said. “The social distancing policy should still be the basis for responding to Corona 19.”
In fact, in Israel, where about 53% of the population has completed the first vaccination, there are signs of an increase in the number of confirmed cases again. Israel, which declared a full return to daily life by April, eased the blockade twice on the 7th and 21st of last month.
Corona 19 vaccine first dose rate compared to the population as of the 24th of last month. Graphic = Reporter Jaemin Shin [email protected]
According to local media such as Ynet on the 28th of last month, the infectious reproductive index in Israel rose to 0.99. The reproductive index, which indicates the number of people infected by one confirmed patient, is one of the representative indexes indicating the spreading power. Israel’s reproduction index had fallen to 0.8 a week ago.
◇ US CDC “Achievements in the past may be lost”
U.S. quarantine experts also expressed concern over the move to ease the blockade. In the United States, the number of new confirmed cases per day has recently fallen below 70,000, the number of vaccinations has exceeded 77 million, and several states have started easing the blockade. The states of South Carolina and Pennsylvania have greatly eased the restrictions on private gatherings, and the states of California and Kentucky are planning to begin or resume school for most grades.
Accordingly, Rochelle Wallaceke, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said on the 1st that the number of new confirmed cases increased by 2% compared to the previous week. “We are very concerned about the easing of quarantine measures in various states.” He warned, “If we take into account the mutant virus, we could completely lose the foundation we’ve had to secure.
“We could completely lose the hard work we had from Corona 19,” said Rochelle Wallacek, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and expressed concern over the move to ease the blockade in some states in the United States. [AP=연합뉴스]
Robert Hosberg, a professor of epidemiology at Boston University, told The New York Times, “I don’t know if the biggest epidemic has passed yet,” he said. “At least four to six weeks should not begin easing the blockade.”
Reporter Seok Kyung-min [email protected]
