The WHO emergency committee, which met on Friday for the fourth time, stressed that it expects that the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic will surely be very long, the agency said in a statement.

The WHO body also warned of the danger of the response loosening in a context of socio-economic pressure.

The emergency committee continues to assess the level of global danger from Covid-19 at a very high level, the statement said.

The committee underscored that it hopes that the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic will surely be very long and noted the importance of sustaining the response and efforts of national, regional and global communities, he added.

The pandemic has been linked to the death of at least 680,000 people worldwide and infected more than 17.6 million, according to a count through official AFP sources.

In addition, the committee asked WHO to support countries in developing treatments and vaccines, and also advocated for greater transparency in how the virus is transmitted, potential mutations, immunity and how to protect yourself.

The committee, made up of 18 members and 12 advisers, unanimously confirmed, as expected, that the virus continues to represent an international health emergency.

The WHO was criticized for delaying decreeing the state of emergency, after the coronavirus was first reported in China. In response the WHO published an interactive timeline of their COVID-19 actions since January.

The Trump Administration, which accused the organization of being a 'puppet' manipulated by China, began its withdrawal from the institution in July.

The emergency committee is scheduled to meet again in three months.