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Maria Van Kerkhove Profile picture
Maria Van Kerkhove
@mvankerkhove
Infectious Disease Epidemiologist; COVID-19 Technical Lead, Director ai Epidemic & Pandemic Preparedness & Prevention, WHO, WHE, Mom of 2. Opinions my own
8 subscribers
Nov 2 • 19 tweets • 5 min read
As we head into the winter season in the northern hemisphere, I am worried about current #COVID19 vaccination levels.

A short thread 🧵about where we are and what we need to be doing…
Vaccination remains a critical tool for preventing the serious impacts of #COVID19, especially in those at high risk of severe disease - including older adults, individuals with chronic or immunocompromising conditions, pregnant women, and health and care workers. Image
Jun 24 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Despite not being in the news, #COVID19 has not gone away. @WHO continues to work with all countries on surveillance, reporting & risk assessments of circulating variants (JN.1, KP.2, KP.3…) & their impact.

Our latest Epi Update (with variant update) ⬇️
who.int/emergencies/di… Yes, the impact of COVID is far less than it was in a few years ago, but we can’t become complacent: Recent vaccination coverage in at risk groups is poor, there are ⬆️ trends in hospitalisations in a number of countries, the virus continues to evolve…

technet-21.org/en/resources/r…
May 23 • 10 tweets • 3 min read
Short 🧵 re #H5N1

An integral component of @WHO’s overall global strategy for #influenza pandemic preparedness activities is the development of candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) representing influenza viruses of zoonotic and pandemic risk. Selection and development of #influenza candidate vaccine viruses (CVVs) are the first steps towards timely vaccine production, when needed…
May 5 • 18 tweets • 4 min read
🧵Lots of interest in #H5N1 in 🇺🇸 so wanted to provide a little background on @WHO’s work in #flu (For latest in US see: @CDCgov @USDA @US_FDA)

And some info on the H5N1 flu vaccine pipeline in humans (note, we don’t need this yet, but I’m getting a lot of questions about this) @WHO’s work in #flu spans >7 decades with the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) who.int/initiatives/gl…
Mar 29 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
For the last few years, @WHO and @CERN have been developing a risk assessment tool to estimate indoor airborne transmission of #SARSCoV2 to better advise on risk mitigation measures for #COVID19.🧵

home.cern/news/news/know… Note: The risk assessment tool itself has been online for more than a year, helping our member states and partners reduce the risks of airborne transmission indoors. 

partnersplatform.who.int/aria
Mar 11 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
Short 🧵

Many use today as a day to mark significance in the @COVID19 pandemic.

I welcome any way in which we can raise attention to COVID-19, to remember our loved ones lost-and still losing- but also to ensure that we continue to act to tackle the current threat of COVID-19. It was the day, 4 years ago, the Director-General of @WHO @DrTedros characterized #COVID19 as a pandemic. I remember that day vividly...because it was significant in the lives of everyone on the planet and in mine personally…
Jan 11 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Sadly at the end of 2023, we passed the 7 million mark for the number of #COVID19 deaths reported to @WHO. 7,010,586 to be exact. The true death toll is higher, with estimates of at >3 times more deaths globally.

7 million… devastating.

data.who.int/dashboards/cov… From Oct to Dec, #SARSCoV2 %+ from sentinel sites from @WHO expanded GISRS was 6-10% & from non-sentinel sites was 18% in Dec. Wastewater surveillance systems suggest actual cases are 2-19 times higher than what is reported to WHO.

data.who.int/dashboards/cov…
Dec 31, 2023 • 24 tweets • 5 min read
Long🧵 #COVID19 and where we are. I’m worried.

We are entering the 5th year of the pandemic and we are certainly in a different phase. This phase is marked by an evolving virus (with the XBB and BA.2 sublineages circulating and JN.1 becoming dominant).
It’s marked by reduced impact compared to the peak of #COVID19 a few years ago, but it’s still a global health threat and it’s still a pandemic causing far too many (re)infections, hospitalisations, deaths and long covid when tools exist to prevent them.

data.who.int/dashboards/cov…
Dec 19, 2023 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
🆕 @WHO TAG-VE Risk Evaluation of JN.1

Due to its rapidly increasing spread, WHO is classifying JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86.  It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages.

Short 🧵

who.int/activities/tra…
JN.1 is a descendent lineage of BA.2.86, with the earliest sample collected on 25 August 2023. In comparison with BA.2.86, JN.1 has the additional L455S mutation in the spike protein.

Full @WHO risk evaluation of JN.1 is available at link below
who.int/docs/default-s…
Jul 29, 2023 • 6 tweets • 3 min read
🧵Anyone who knows me knows that I despise the phrase “living with COVID”. We are living with #COVID19 & we must do it better. Governments must better manage COVID-19: prevent infections especially among those most at risk for severe disease & treat those infected & suffering… …. This virus continues to circle the globe. It’s changing, it’s (re)infecting, it’s killing, it’s causing long term harm (#LongCOVID).

We will not ignore those suffering from LongCOVID and work harder to ensure better prevention and treatment.
Jun 9, 2023 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
Long 🧵

It’s been just over a month since the lifting of the PHEIC for #COVID19 by @WHO @DrTedros.

While the world is moving on… and most people are able to live safely because they have some protection against developing severe disease and dying, they have good access to… …health care, medicines and information, and they know how to keep themselves and loved ones safe from #COVID19… not all people around the world have this.

Governments can’t move on, must not forget. @WHO isn’t moving on…
Mar 16, 2023 • 10 tweets • 5 min read
. @WHO has updated its variant tracking system and working definitions for SARS-CoV-2 variants as part of our ongoing work to improve #COVID19 surveillance
1/9
who.int/news/item/15-0… Omicron is the most genetically diverse variant of concern to date, and when it emerged was a game changer for the #COVID19 pandemic.
 
Since Feb 2022, Omicron and its many sublineages have almost completely replaced other variants. 2/9
Mar 11, 2023 • 24 tweets • 14 min read
So where exactly are we now in the #COVID19 pandemic and where are we going?

Long thread ⬇️
@DrTedros @DrMikeRyan @WHO 3 years ago @WHO described the situation of #COVID19 as a pandemic, but it was 6 weeks earlier - on 30Jan20 - that @DrTedros declared the evolving situation as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC), our highest alarm to the world.

Mar 2, 2023 • 5 tweets • 3 min read
🧵As an American myself and directly involved in the response to #COVID19 pandemic and in the origins studies since day 1, comments by @MarshaBlackburn, @SenatorRisch and others about @WHO and our work are deeply hurtful and inaccurate. As the #COVID19 health operations & technical lead, my role has been to convene the world's expertise & consolidate that knowledge into actions that save lives. As the responsible technical officer for advancing our understanding of this current pandemic to prevent future ones…
Jan 19, 2023 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
New @WHO-led analysis shows that hybrid immunity provides higher protection, demonstrating the critical importance of vaccination even after people have had COVID-19. thelancet.com/journals/lanin… These are the findings of a systematic review: One year after developing hybrid immunity, a person has >95% lower chance of getting severe #COVID19 or needing hospitalization compared to unvaccinated and uninfected individuals.
Sep 14, 2022 • 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…
Aug 20, 2022 • 9 tweets • 6 min read
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.
Aug 7, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
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/
Jul 16, 2022 • 7 tweets • 5 min read
🧵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/…
Jul 10, 2022 • 7 tweets • 4 min read
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/
Jun 29, 2022 • 5 tweets • 4 min read
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/