The zero COVID policy promoted at the highest level of power in China to try to fight the pandemic is “unsustainable”, WHO boss Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Tuesday, saying it had talked to Chinese experts.
When we talk about a zero COVID approach, we don’t think it is sustainable, considering the behavior of the virus so far and what we expect in the future. […] moving to a different approach is very importanthe said at a press briefing by the World Health Organization in Geneva (WHO).
As Dr. said. Tedros, you have to be flexible with circumstances, with what you see in the data […] and he discussed it in detail with Chinese colleagues, added his director of emergency situations, Michael Ryan.
He recalled that at one time this technique allowed China to post a very small number of deaths compared to its population. This is something China wants to protectacknowledged by Dr. Ryan.
Faced with the rising death toll since February-March, it makes sense for the government to react, Michael Ryan said, but all these actions, as we have repeated from the beginning, must be done with respect for individuals and human rights.
Late last week, China reiterated that it would continue its zero COVID strategy, basic quality against the coronavirus, despite growing frustration in Shanghai where incarcerated residents are now protesting by banging their pans on windows.
An epidemic outbreak
Large rescued in two years, the Asian giant has faced its worst epidemic outbreak since the spring of 2020 and continues to apply the same policy, even as the virus has mutated and become more contagious than the original strain. seen in China at the end. of 2019.
According to Chinese authorities – including President Xi Jinping who has thrown all his weight into pursuing this strategy – the zero COVID policy has allowed Chinese to live almost normally since 2020 and limit the number of deaths to more less than 5000 according to the official. report.
But the Omicron variant changed that.
Dr. Ryan called for the application of dynamic, adaptable and flexible policiesbecause the inflexibility was shown during this pandemic that it could cause a lot of damage.
Maria Van Kerkhove, who is responsible for overseeing the fight against COVID at the WHO, insisted that it is now impossible to stop all transmission of the virus.
Our global goal is not to define all cases and stop all deliveries. Not really possible right nowhe admitted, and insisted: but what we need to do is reduce the transmission rate because the virus is circulating at very high levels of intensity.
Source: Radio-Canada
