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Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
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Sep 14 • 8 tweets • 6 min read
Today @WHO issued 6️⃣ #COVID19 policy briefs outlining essential actions national policy makers can implement to end the COVID-19 emergency worldwide.

“We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic” - @DrTedros

More on each brief👇🧵

who.int/emergencies/di…
1️⃣ Testing: It remains critical to continue to test for #COVID19 to reduce morbidity and mortality through linkage to prompt care and treatment, reduce onward transmission and track the evolution of the epidemic and the virus itself.

who.int/publications/i…
2️⃣Clinical care: Establish & sustain clear pathways to clinical care for #COVID19. Integrate COVID into primary care systems. Provide access and follow up care for #LongCOVID. Utilizetherapeutics for those at risk. Plan for surges.

who.int/publications/i…
3️⃣ Vaccination: Each country must reach critical #COVID19 vaccination targets prioritising the highest risk groups. Ensure access and equity of COVID19 vaccines #VaccinEquity

who.int/publications/i…
4️⃣IPC: Maintaining and improving infection and control measures for #COVID19 in health facilities remains critical for patients, staff and visitors.

who.int/publications/i…
5️⃣Rebuid trust in communities & support the use of targeted Public Health & Social Measures: Credible, trusted, relevant, timely, accessible & actionable heath information is crucial for the acceptance and adoption of life-saving #COVID19 interventions.

who.int/publications/i…
6️⃣ Manage the #COVID19 infodemic

who.int/publications/i…
To everyone, everywhere: #COVID19 is not the only crisis out there, but the end is in sight… Remain vigilant & utilise all available tools to prevent unnecessary deaths, reduce the spread of this virus and live with COVID responsibly.

We can do this, together. @WHO

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More from @mvankerkhove

Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Aug 20
Millions have died from #COVID19 since the start of this pandemic and 15000 are still dying each week.

15000 mothers, daughters, fathers, sons, brothers, sisters, friends… people we love.

I know we are tired, but when did this become acceptable?

A short thread…
Globally, over the last 4 weeks, 26,722,228 new cases and 62,892 new deaths were reported to @WHO. That’s a 15% ⬆️ in new cases & a +35% ⬆️ in new deaths over the reporting period.
We expect cases to continue to occur given the limited use of public health and social measures🌎, but #COVID19 hospitalisations, deaths & #LongCovid can be minimised.

Efforts need to be made to strengthen the use of life saving interventions. We can do this AND live our lives.
Read 9 tweets
Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Aug 7
The next weeks & months are critical to be vigilant for #COVID19

As individuals: get vaccinated and take measures to reduce risk of (re)infection. Mask indoors when around others outside your immediate family. Distance. Test. Ventilate. Wash hands. Live life safely. Be kind.
1/
Governments: reinforce surveillance, testing, sequencing, access to treatments & O2, vaccinate all at risk, surge capacities and PPE, invest in ventilation & in a strong protected work force. Ensure policies are agile to deal with epi, capacities & financial needs…
2/
…continue to invest in research of this virus and its many variants and continue to develop new tools; support patients with Post COVID-19 condition (#LongCovid); fight the infodemic and misinformation; communicate regularly and openly and rebuild trust; share successes.
Read 4 tweets
Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Jul 16
🧵Brief thread on the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 variants

#Omicron and all of its sublineages are classified as VOC (Variants of concern) by @WHO. This includes BA.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.2.75, BA.3, BA.4, #BA5 and many more

(Watch this video and keep reading 1/7)
. @WHO is working with our TAG-VE (technical advisory group for virus evolution) to assess the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of all variants we are monitoring (VOI, VOC, VUM) and comparing differences between variants (eg #BA5 vs BA2) who.int/en/activities/…
Assigning greek letters is a way @WHO established to help communicate about the variants (we won’t hesitate to use them) but the scientific names remain in use. Agree it’s not ideal to be saying BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.5 (trust me!), but remember these are all #Omicron and…
Read 7 tweets
Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Jul 10
Reality check👇

#COVID19 deaths globally are at a similar level to March 2020. While deaths are now much lower than they have been at their peaks over the last 2.5 yrs, we must remember that in 3/20, we knew very little about this virus & we had no treatments & no vaccines
1/🧵
Now in July 2022, we have several life saving interventions that we are not utilising effectively nor consistently globally & deaths should be far lower at this point in the pandemic

It’s not over & are playing with fire by letting this virus circulate at such intense levels
2/
Among #Omicron lineages, #BA5 & #BA4 continue to rise globally.

BA.5 has been detected in 83 countries, with prevalence ⬆️ from 37% to 52% from 19 to 25 June. The rate of BA4 ⬆️ is not as high as BA5.

3/ @WHO
Read 7 tweets
Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Jun 29
Globally, #COVID19 cases has increased for the 3rd consecutive week with >4.1million cases reported to @WHO (18%⬆️ compared to previous week). During the same week, 8,552 fatalities were reported.

We @WHO know both are underestimates and both cases & deaths are too high.

1/🧵
Global hot spots can be seen in these figures from our latest @WHO #COVID19 Weekly Epidemiological Update available here:

who.int/publications/m… 2/
In this edition we also provide:
↗️An update on the circulating #SARSCoV2 variants of concern
↗️ A special focus on relative vaccine effectiveness

#Omicron is still dominant: BA.2 represents 25% of sequences, BA.2.12.1 11%, BA.4 12%, & BA.5 43%. #BA4 & #BA5 reports are ⬆️

3/
Read 5 tweets
Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Jun 19
We are not yet living with #COVID19 responsibly. Not even close.

Short🧵

↗️People are dying unnecessarily
↗️Millions infected each week
↗️Billions not fully vaccinated
↗️Lives & livelihoods suffering
↘️Dismantling systems needed to end the global emergency & fight the next one
While some countries have managed to significantly reduce hospitalisations and deaths, many have not. Too many vulnerable people continue to be missed with vaccination, clinical care, tests, accurate & reliable information…

#VaccinEquity remains a significant problem globally
… Far too many countries have abandoned public health measures (masks indoors, distance), not invested (ventilation, PPE, HCW), continue to politicize #COVID19 undermining the effectiveness of tools that work… all of which allows the virus to continue to circulate intensely…
Read 6 tweets

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