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A child is vaccinated against the corona virus (symbol image)
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The World Health Organization (WHO) is still not lifting the highest alert level declared because of the corona pandemic.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced in Geneva on Monday that he would maintain the international public health emergency.
This was also the conclusion reached by a WHO expert panel that met at the end of last week.
However, the pandemic has probably “reached a transition”, the WHO said.
The task now is to manage this transition phase carefully.
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According to Tedros, although the global corona situation has improved, around 170,000 deaths related to Covid-19 from around the world have been reported to the WHO in the past eight weeks.
Health authorities are monitoring the spread of the virus less closely, while medical facilities remain overwhelmed in many places, Tedros said.
The advisory board was also concerned that there are still not enough people in risk groups around the world and in poorer countries who have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
"There is little doubt that this virus will remain a permanent human and animal pathogen for the foreseeable future," the experts said.
The advisers urged states to put in place long-term action plans to prevent, monitor and control infection, and to remain vigilant even after the public health emergency has lifted.
When the WHO declared the corona health emergency on January 30, 2020, around 100 infections were known in around 20 countries outside of China and no deaths.
According to the WHO, around 752.5 million infections and a good 6.8 million deaths have now been reported worldwide.
However, the number of unreported cases is likely to be much higher, as not all cases are recorded.
mar/dpa
