“COVID-19 today is only dangerous for the over 60s and people with chronic conditions,” said virologist and member of the Scientific Committee to Fight the Coronavirus Amine Slim.
“It is now possible to live with the coronavirus by complying with preventive measures,” Slim Saturday told TAP following a press conference held by World Health Organisation (WHO) Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to announce the lifting of the Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) for COVID-19.
Nearly seven million deaths from COVID-19 have been reported to WHO, Tedros said, with more than 1 million of the deaths in the United States alone. Tedros emphasised that “we know the [death] total is several times higher, at least 20 million.”
The virologist said the scientific committee prepared three different scenarios for COVID-19 spread, including its end in December 2022, mild cases in small outbreaks every three our four months, as it is now the case, and he emergence of a new variant which us more dangerous than Omicron. The last scenario did not occur.
“Meanwhile, the scientific committee emphasised the need to comply with preventive measures for seasonal flu to face up to COVID-19 and get booster shots,” he added.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse