WHO head said the pandemic showed what humans are capable of 0:37
(CNN) - Covid-19 is spreading in "a big wave" that is not affected by seasonal trends, said Margaret Harris, spokeswoman for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Coronavirus spikes recorded in European countries recently have typically been described as second waves.
But Harris characterized the virus as "a big wave" that "is going to go up and down a little," during a virtual press conference in Geneva on Tuesday.
He also said that covid-19 did not appear to follow the seasonal trends of other viruses such as influenza.
"The station does not appear to be affecting the transmission of this virus currently. What is affecting the transmission of this virus is mass meetings, people get together and do not distance themselves socially, they do not take precautions to ensure that they are not in close contact, "said Harris.
"People are still thinking about the seasons. What we all need to understand is that this is a new virus and ... it behaves differently. "
The WHO spokeswoman also warned against complacency, while speaking to the Irish radio station Newstalk on Tuesday.
"People unfortunately interpreted the end of confinements as the end of outbreaks," he said, adding that reducing confinement was "the time when you really had to be more vigilant."
"People relaxed and we are seeing these increases," Harris said.
Coronavirus cases are on the rise in Germany, France and Spain, while spikes have also been reported in Hong Kong and Australia.
Harris said sending the message to stay alert was difficult, especially for young people "in the middle of a lovely summer."
“You are only young once. It's easy for old people like me to say stay home. You also only have one life and you also have only one family, ”he said.
"What we do see is that in the European region there has been a slight increase in new cases in recent weeks," said WHO regional director for Europe Hans Kluge during an interview with BBC Radio 4 on Wednesday.
"Whether it is a first wave or a second wave, what we do know is that it is a consequence of the change in human behavior."
The official also noted that WHO had received reports "from civil and health authorities of a higher proportion of new infections among young people."
Kluge said he was "cautiously optimistic" about the virus, but warned that the pandemic "will not fade soon."
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