WHO chief warns of new Covid variants but says monkeypox virus can be stopped

The slowing in the number of cases indicates that the monkeypox outbreak can be stopped, 'but it won’t just happen,' according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Stock picture

Countries might be living with the Covid virus for the foreseeable future as the risk of new variants emerging this winter remains high, the World Health Organization has warned.

The WHO has welcomed a fall in the number of Covid-19 deaths worldwide, but has urged people to continue with vaccinations to reduce these numbers further.

WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “We are now seeing a welcome decline in reported deaths globally". 

“However, with colder weather approaching in the northern hemisphere, it’s reasonable to expect an increase in hospitalisations and deaths in the coming months.” 

This is linked to the emergence of subvariants of Omicron which are even more transmissible than the Omicron strain and the threat of new variants.

"Living with Covid-19 doesn’t mean pretending the pandemic is over. If you go walking in the rain without an umbrella, pretending it’s not raining won’t help you. You’ll still get wet," Dr Tedros said. 

“Likewise, pretending a deadly virus is not circulating is a huge risk. Living with Covid-19 means taking the simple precautions to avoid getting infected, or if you are infected, from getting seriously sick or dying.” 

The HSE is informing Irish people about how to avoid monkeypox, what symptoms to look out for, and what to do if you have them. 

He said vaccination rates in low-income countries remain too low to offer protection. Even in high-income countries, the WHO has found that 30% of health workers and 20% of older people remain unvaccinated.

“These vaccination gaps pose a risk to all of us,” he said.

Ireland's current Covid-19 data

In Ireland there were 15 people in intensive care units (ICUs) on Wednesday because of the virus, with 262 Covid patients in hospitals around the country. This is the lowest number of patients in hospitals for this reason since June 7.

The latest monthly report on Covid deaths in Ireland showed 62 people died between mid-July and mid-August, down from 90 the month before.

Dr Tedros also addressed the monkeypox outbreak, indicating that this is more controllable than Covid-19.

“We might be ‘living with Covid-19’ for the foreseeable future. But we don’t have to live with monkeypox,” he said.

He said cases are decreasing in Canada although rising in other countries across the Americas. In Europe the trend is also downwards in general, with Germany and the Netherlands seeing a clear slowing the outbreak, he said.

In Ireland, where a HSE vaccine campaign has started, cases are rising — albeit at a slow rate. 

Last week, an additional 18 cases were identified, bringing the total to 144.

Dr Tedros said the slowing in case numbers indicates this is an outbreak which could be stopped, but said that he is worried there is not enough focus on the problem globally: 

In regions that do not have animal-to-human transmission, this is a virus that can be eliminated. 

“But it won’t just happen. Eliminating monkeypox needs three things: the evidence that it’s possible, which we are now beginning to see; political will and commitment; and the implementation of public health measures in the communities that need them most.”