WHO Reveals COVID-19 10 Times Deadlier Than Swine Flu, Stresses Need For Vaccine
29/04/2020 01:17 MYT
The World Health Organization (WHO) has revealed that the Novel Coronavirus is ten times deadlier than the swine flu, which happened in 2009.
AFP, in a report quoting WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said a vaccine is necessary to contain the rapidly spreading virus.
Comparing it with the swine flu, WHO said 18,500 people died from it after it was first uncovered in Mexico and the United States in March 2009, but the Lancet medical estimated the death toll to be between 151,700 and 575,400.
At that time, vaccines were rushed but the WHO were criticised for overreacting as annual influenza epidemics killed between 250,000 and 500,000 people every year.
Proper measures must be set in place
In the current Coronavirus state though, Tedros said if countries were committed to "early case-finding, testing, isolating (and) caring for every case and tracing every contact" they could somewhat control it.
He also said while COVID-19 had accelerated quickly, "it decelerates much more slowly."
"In other words, the way down is much slower than the way up," he said, stressing that "control measures must be lifted slowly, and with control. It cannot happen all at once."
"Control measures can only be lifted if the right public health measures are in place, including significant capacity for contact tracing," he said.
Just yesterday, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali announced that companies allowed to operate under MCO can go full capacity.
We wonder if we're truly prepared for this? What do you think?