As UN Warns About Large COVID Outbreaks In Asia & Europe, India Cautions 5 States Regarding Spike In Cases

Indian government advised some specific states to take pre-emptive measures to control any emerging spread of the novel virus as United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cautioned about the ongoing COVID as large outbreaks keep spreading in Asia.

Furthermore, Guterres also urged governments and pharma companies to operate closely to deliver COVID vaccines to every individual, everywhere.

In an official video message 'One World Protected - Break COVID Now' to the GAVI COVAX Advance Market Commitment Summit 2022 on April 8, the UN Secretary-General stated that the gathering is a critical reminder that the "COVID-19 pandemic is far from over."

"We are seeing 1.5 million new cases each day. Large outbreaks are spreading in Asia. A new wave is sweeping across Europe," Guterres was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express.

He also added that numerous countries are currently reporting their highest death rates since the pandemic started two years ago.

Guterres then went on to add that the Omicron COVID variant is a "startling reminder" of how fast this highly contiguous virus can spread and mutate - particularly in the absence of high vaccination coverage.

While few high-income nations are equipping themselves for their second booster doses, one-third of humankind still remains unvaccinated.

India Warned Of Another COVID Wave

Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan, on April 8, wrote to five Indian states warning them about the increasing daily COVID cases in the country. In the letter, Delhi, Kerala, Haryana, Mizoram and Maharashtra have been instructed that regular monitoring and follow-up action in emerging areas of concern is vital.

He also added that laxity at any level might negate the progress in pandemic management so far, reported DNA India.

Furthermore, states have also been tipped to follow the five-fold strategy, i.e., test-track-treat-vaccination and adherence to appropriate coronavirus behaviour while continuously monitoring clusters of new COVID cases and needed containment efforts for restricting the outspread of the virus and adequate testing and undertaking all needed steps in parts reporting high case positivity.

New XE COVID-19 Variant

A brand new variant of the COVID Omicron strain, first reported in the United Kingdom (UK), appears to be even more contagious than previous strains of the novel virus, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has stated.

WHO had claimed last week that the XE recombinant (BA.1-BA.2) was first reported in the UK on January 19, and over 600 sequences have been reported since then.

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