COVID-19 STILL A DEADLY THREAT — WHO

THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that Covid-19 remains a major threat to public health.

The WHO issued the warning as almost 10,000 Covid-19 deaths were reported last December.

According to the United Nations health agency, based on various sources, the increased transmission was attributed to gatherings during the Christmas holiday period and the JN.1 Covid variant.

UN health agency chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that although Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the virus is still circulating, changing, and killing.

According to Ghebreyesus, besides the near 10,000 deaths reported to the WHO last month, there was a 42 percent increase in hospitalisations and a 62 percent increase in intensive care unit admissions, compared last November.

He said the figures are based on data from less than 50 countries , mostly in Europe and the Americas.

Tedros said that it is certain that there are also increases in other countries that are not being reported.

“Just as governments and individuals take precautions against other diseases, we must all continue to take precautions against Covid-19,” he advised.

The UN health agency chief urged governments to maintain virus surveillance and sequencing, and to ensure access to affordable and reliable tests, treatments and vaccines.

He also called on the people to to be vaccinated, to undergo test when experiencing Covid symptoms, to wear face masks where needed and to ensure crowded indoor spaces are well ventilated.

Meanwhile, Covid cases in the Philippines rose during the Christmas rush but slightly declined, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

The DOH said coronavirus caseload from December 26 to January 1, 2024, was down by 10 percent to 3,147 from the 3,507 infections tallied during the Christmas rush from December 19 to 25.

From December 12 to 18, health authorities recorded 2,725 new coronavirus cases — a nearly 50 percent increase from the preceding week’s 1,821 infections. 

According to DOH data, as of January 3, there were 5,310 active coronavirus cases in the country.