Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

WHO says Covid still 'very dangerous virus' and we're only at 'halfway mark'

WHO says Covid still 'very dangerous virus' and we're only at 'halfway mark'

As the government scraps the majority of the remaining Covid restrictions this week, the WHO has rejected claims the pandemic is over

The World Health Organisation has hit back at suggestions that Britain should learn to live with Covid-19 “like it does flu”.

Dr David Nabarro, the WHO’s special envoy for Covid-19, suggested we may be “just passing the halfway mark” of the pandemic, with a number of dangerous new variants still to emerge.

He told Sky News: “I keep wondering what the people who make these amazing predictions know that I and my colleagues in the World Health Organisation don’t know.

“You see, what people are seeing from around the world and reporting to the WHO is this is still a very, very dangerous virus, especially for people who have not been vaccinated and who’ve not been exposed to it before.

“It can also mutate and form variants and we’ve seen several but we know there are more not far away.

Dr. David Nabarro


“So quite honestly, we are not saying that this should be considered to be like flu or indeed like anything else.

“It’s a new virus, and we must go on treating it as though it is full of surprises, very nasty and rather cunning.”

The Government has removed the legal requirement to wear masks and has declared the UK has passed the Omicron peak.

Tory backbenchers are pressuring the Government to do away with remaining Covid-19 rules such as the requirement to self-isolate.

Asked whether the end of the pandemic is in sight for the countries in Europe, Dr Nabarro said: “The end is in sight, but how long is it going to take to get there? What sort of difficulties will we face on the way?

“Those are the questions that none of us can answer because this virus continues to give us challenges and surprises.”

He added: “It’s as though we’re just passing the halfway mark in a marathon and we can see that yes, there is an end and fast runners are getting through ahead of us.

“But we’ve still got a long, long way to trudge and it’s going to be tough.”

Yesterday(Mon) the UK reported 88,447 more confirmed Covid-19 cases and 56 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.

Last week PM Boris Johnson told MPs: “There will soon come a time when we can remove the legal requirement to self-isolate altogether, just as we don’t place legal obligations on people to isolate if they have flu.”

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said: “Sadly, people die of flu as well. In a bad flu year, you can sadly lose about 20,000 lives, but we don’t shut down our entire country and put in place lots of restrictions to deal with it.

“We need to continue with our lives with sensible, appropriate and proportionate measures.”

World Health Organisation Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge


At a press conference in Germany yesterday(Mon), WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “The COVID-19 pandemic is now entering its third year and we are at a critical juncture.

“We must work together to bring the acute phase of this pandemic to an end. We cannot let it continue to drag on, lurching between panic and neglect.”

Dr Hans Henri Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, said: “The pandemic is far from over, but I am hopeful we can end the emergency phase in 2022.”

A Government adviser said it is not certain the viruses become less severe over time.

Professor Peter Openshaw who has been made a CBE for services to medicine and immunology in the New Year Honours


Prof Peter Openshaw, a member of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said: “We have no way of concluding that viruses have to become less severe over time.

“It could be the next variant - and there will be another - could be more severe for all we know.

“There’s no rule about this.”

He said reinfections - where somebody tests positive again after a previous bout of Covid - are increasing.

“Omicron and sub-lineages of them are able to escape previous immunity so they are going to increase in number over time,” he added.

Scientists are concerned that a new variant, dubbed Stealth Omicron, could spread faster than the original version.

The strain, named Omicron BA.2, has been identified more than 420 times in the UK since November, with cases multiplying in some parts of Europe and India.

BA.2 was last week classified as a “variant under investigation” by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Data suggests that Denmark is currently the epicentre of the new variant, with more than 6,400 confirmed cases.

Virologist Dr Tom Peacock, from Imperial College London, said: “Even with slightly higher transmissibility this absolutely is not a Delta to Omicron change, and instead is likely to be slower and more subtle.

“That said, I would not be surprised if BA.2 slowly replaces [Omicron] over the coming months with a slightly more “optimised” mutations.’”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×