According to the WHO, the most vulnerable people continue to be those who are older or have pre-existing conditions, and all care is necessary.
On Monday (16), the director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that there are records of children dying due to the new coronavirus (Covid-19). And he did not give further details about the profile of the victims.
“This is a serious disease. While the evidence we have suggests that those over 60 are most at risk, younger people, including children, have died,” Tedros said.
Until Monday, the world organization had not recognized the deaths of children as a consequence of the new coronavirus. The entity has repeatedly emphasized that the most vulnerable groups are older people or those with pre-existing diseases, such as diabetes or cardiovascular system problems, such as hypertension.
Social distancing
Tedros emphasized that the escalation of cases and deaths around the world justifies the adoption of social distancing measures, such as closing schools, suspending events, working remotely, among other preventive measures.
The WHO said that to contain the spread of the virus, carrying out large-scale testing for each suspected case is still the best alternative.
The Director-General highlighted the need and importance of testing all suspected cases.
“You can’t fight a fire blindfolded – you can’t stop this pandemic if you don’t know who is infected,” said the WHO director.
“Test, test, test. Test every suspected case. If it is positive, isolate and find out who they have been close to,” Tedros advised.
Maria van Kerkhove, WHO’s technical director, once again advised that containment strategies be maintained. “We need to find every case and follow up on every contact and test the contacts. This can stop transmission between people,” she said.
WHO warns about all cases
WHO directors have recommended that all cases, even mild ones, be isolated in health facilities, but acknowledge that this is not possible for all countries, as some do not have the capacity to adopt this measure. In such cases, countries should prioritize older patients and those with pre-existing conditions.
The World Health Organization's directors also recommended that countries should prioritize older patients and those with pre-existing conditions. And that all cases, even the mildest, should be isolated in health centers. The organization recognizes that not all countries have the capacity to adopt this measure.