With nearly 40% of our population fully vaccinated and new COVID-19 infections dwindling once again, it may seem like Singapore is out of the woods.
But as we’ve seen time and time again, the battle with the coronavirus can never truly be won.
This is why Singapore is preparing for life with COVID-19 as a recurring but controllable disease, much like the flu.
As they say: if you can’t beat it, develop vaccines against it and learn to live with it.
Other countries with sluggish vaccination rates may be in trouble, however, if they don’t inoculate their residents quickly enough.
WHO Warns That The World is in a ‘Dangerous Period’ as Delta Variant is Detected in 98 Countries
The world is now in a “dangerous period” thanks to the emergence of the Delta variant, warned the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The WHO said that the more transmissible variant has been detected in at least 98 countries and could present further dangers as it continues to evolve and mutate.
This is especially so for countries that have not vaccinated enough residents.
The “Delta (variant) has been detected in at least 98 countries and is spreading quickly in countries with low and high vaccination coverage”, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“In those countries with low Covid-19 vaccination coverage, terrible scenes of hospitals overflowing are again becoming the norm. But no country is out of the woods yet.”
WHO noted that while governments around the world have warned of the Delta variant, they have also relaxed COVID-19 restrictions and reopened their borders to revive their economies.
And this may have led to an increase in the variant’s infection rate.
In the US, for instance, nearly 25% of new infections have been linked to the Delta variant, an alarming increase from 6% in early last month.
In England, the Delta strain accounts for 99% of sequenced COVID-19 tests, while the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has warned that it could cause 90% of cases in the EU by the end of next month.
Countries in Asia are also reporting a surge in infections, forcing them to reimpose lockdowns and speed up their mass vaccination drives.
WHO Chief: Sharing of Vaccines & Public Health Measures Key
According to the WHO chief, there are two main ways to combat the current Delta outbreak.
One is to implement public health measures, such as early case detection, surveillance, testing, isolation, and clinical care.
Secondly, the world must be open to sharing treatments and vaccines, as well as protective gear, oxygen, and tests.
Some countries are doing this, but the amount is “only a trickle” and is being outpaced by variants.
“I have urged leaders across the world to work together to ensure that by this time next year, 70 per cent of all people in every country are vaccinated,” Dr Tedros said.
Simply vaccinating 10%, he said, could end the acute stage of the pandemic, which would save a significant number of lives.
Featured Image: Elenarts/ shutterstock.com
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