The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned the world that the second year of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">pandemic</a> will be deadlier than the first one.

"In January, I spoke about the potential unfolding of a moral catastrophe," Tedros said in a press conference. "Unfortunately, we're now witnessing this play out. In a handful of rich countries, which bought up the majority of the supply, lower-risk groups are now being vaccinated."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/extended-gap-between-two-doses-of-covishield-reasonable-approach-says-anthony-fauci-384926" hreflang="en">Extended gap between two doses of Covishield reasonable approach, says Anthony Fauci</a>

He has also urged countries to stop <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccinating</a> children against the deadly coronavirus and instead donate those doses to poor countries.

"I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to Covax," he said. "Because in low and lower-middle income countries, COVID-19 vaccine supply has not been enough to even immunise healthcare workers, and hospitals are being inundated with people that need lifesaving care urgently."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinese-firm-may-have-lied-about-tests-of-its-covid-19-drug-384904" hreflang="en">Chinese firm may have lied about tests of its COVID-19 drug</a>

The virus has taken more than 3.3 million lives till now, but the WHO chief has warned that the situation is about to get worse.

"We're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first," he said. "Saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination — not one or the other — is the only way out."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/global-covid-19-caseload-tops-1608-million-384907" hreflang="en">Global COVID-19 caseload tops 160.8 million</a>

This has come as the 56-year-old got vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus earlier this week in Geneva, where WHO headquarters are based.

Calling it a 'bittersweet moment', he said, "the fact that so many are still not protected is a sad reflection on the gross distortion in access to vaccines across the globe".

The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned the world that the second year of the pandemic will be deadlier than the first one. "In January, I spoke about the potential unfolding of a moral catastrophe," Tedros said in a press conference.

The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has warned the world that the second year of the pandemic will be deadlier than the first one. "In January, I spoke about the potential unfolding of a moral catastrophe," Tedros said in a press conference. "Unfortunately, we're now witnessing this play out. In a handful of rich countries, which bought up the majority of the supply, lower-risk groups are now being vaccinated." Also read | Extended gap between two doses of Covishield reasonable approach, says Anthony Fauci He has also urged countries to stop vaccinating children against the deadly coronavirus and instead donate those doses to poor countries. "I understand why some countries want to vaccinate their children and adolescents, but right now I urge them to reconsider and to instead donate vaccines to Covax," he said. "Because in low and lower-middle income countries, COVID-19 vaccine supply has not been enough to even immunise healthcare workers, and hospitals are being inundated with people that need lifesaving care urgently." Also read | Chinese firm may have lied about tests of its COVID-19 drug The virus has taken more than 3.3 million lives till now, but the WHO chief has warned that the situation is about to get worse. "We're on track for the second year of this pandemic to be far more deadly than the first," he said. "Saving lives and livelihoods with a combination of public health measures and vaccination — not one or the other — is the only way out." Also read | Global COVID-19 caseload tops 160.8 million This has come as the 56-year-old got vaccinated against the deadly coronavirus earlier this week in Geneva, where WHO headquarters are based. Calling it a 'bittersweet moment', he said, "the fact that so many are still not protected is a sad reflection on the gross distortion in access to vaccines across the globe".

'Reconsider vaccinating children, donate to Covax,' says WHO chief as he warns against 'deadliest year'

W.H.O officials silenced sex abuse survivors in Congo in an attempt to protect the agency's reputation. Palki Sharma tells you how thugs and perverts have infiltrated the W.H.O ranks and why Director-General Tedros remains a spectator.

Gravitas: W.H.O silences sex abuse survivors

The Indian government has issued a statement after a wrong report circulating in&nbsp;media termed the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant as 'Indian variant'. 
 
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a statement said, "several media reports have covered the news of World Health Organisation (WHO) classifying B.1.617 as a variant of global concern. Some of these reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an 'Indian Variant'."

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Unite2FightCorona?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Unite2FightCorona</a> 
 
*ATTENTION* 
 
➡️<a href="https://twitter.com/WHO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WHO</a> has not associated the term “Indian Variant” with B.1.617, now classified as Variant of Concern.<a href="https://t.co/w8plx3nIY1">https://t.co/w8plx3nIY1</a> <a href="https://t.co/AJSUaUSxDb">pic.twitter.com/AJSUaUSxDb</a>
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"These media reports are without any basis, and unfounded." 
 
"This is to clarify that WHO hasn't associated the term 'Indian variant' with the B.1.617 variant...in its 32-page document. The word 'Indian'&nbsp;has not been used in its report on the matter," the statement read. 
 
The regional office for South-East Asia of the WHO has also said that "World Health Organization does not identify viruses or variants with names of countries they are first reported from. We refer to them by their scientific names and request all to do the same for consistency." 
 
The Indian government has been forced to issue this clarification after many media houses started running news reports saying that the WHO&nbsp;has classified an 'Indian Covid variant'&nbsp;as a 'global variant of concern'. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Indian government has issued a statement after a wrong report circulating in media termed the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant as 'Indian variant'. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a statement said, "several media reports have covered the news of World Health Organisation (WHO) classifying B.

The Indian government has issued a statement after a wrong report circulating in media termed the B.1.617 COVID-19 variant as 'Indian variant'. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in a statement said, "several media reports have covered the news of World Health Organisation (WHO) classifying B.1.617 as a variant of global concern. Some of these reports have termed the B.1.617 variant of the coronavirus as an 'Indian Variant'." #Unite2FightCorona *ATTENTION* ➡️@WHO has not associated the term “Indian Variant” with B.1.617, now classified as Variant of Concern.https://t.co/w8plx3nIY1 pic.twitter.com/AJSUaUSxDb — Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) May 12, 2021 × "These media reports are without any basis, and unfounded." "This is to clarify that WHO hasn't associated the term 'Indian variant' with the B.1.617 variant...in its 32-page document. The word 'Indian' has not been used in its report on the matter," the statement read. The regional office for South-East Asia of the WHO has also said that "World Health Organization does not identify viruses or variants with names of countries they are first reported from. We refer to them by their scientific names and request all to do the same for consistency." The Indian government has been forced to issue this clarification after many media houses started running news reports saying that the WHO has classified an 'Indian Covid variant' as a 'global variant of concern'. (With inputs from agencies)

WHO hasn't associated the term 'Indian variant' with B.1.617 COVID-19 variant: Govt

The World Health Organization (WHO) informed on May 12, 2021 that the COVID-19 variant -B.1.617 that was first found in India in October 2020 has been detected in sequences uploaded from 44 countries in all six WHO regions.

Covid-19 variant first detected in India, found in 44 countries: WHO

Vaccine hesitancy, in other words, delay or refusal to take a vaccine, is more common than thought. It is the biggest threat to global vaccine rollout. Bigger than shortage and side effects.

Vaccine hesitancy is as old as vaccines themselves. There is no single reason for it. In some places, hesitancy is based on religion. Elsewhere, it is politics. But whatever the reason,&nbsp;the end result is never good.

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Look at some of the examples from history. These are all instances where vaccine hesitancy led to outbreaks.

In 1873 in Stockholm, vaccination rate dropped from 90 per cent&nbsp;to 40 per cent. It was triggered by a religious anti-vax campaign.

A deadly smallpox epidemic spread that same year.

Another example is from UK and Ireland. In year 2000, people started linking the measles vaccine to Autism. The vaccination rates dropped below 80 per cent. There were 300 cases, 100 hospitalisations and three deaths. All of this was preventable.

The bottomline is that vaccine hesitancy is dangerous. Deadly in fact. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks it as one of the top 10 global health threats.

A proper messaging right from the top can beat this threat.

One would expect WHO to give facts and robust advice. Instead, there is confusion and conjecture.

On Saturday, WHO's Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was talking about Wuhan virus variant detected in India.

"The one (variant) that was first identified in India,&nbsp;the B 1.617 is likely to be a variant of concern because it has some mutations, which increase transmission, and which also potentially could make them resistant to antibodies that are generated by vaccination or by natural infection," she said.

'Likely' and 'potentially' are the words you don't want health experts to say. Because this is in the realm of possibility.

Words have consequences, especially when coming from the WHO's top scientist. She says the new variants may evade the vaccines. There are a lot of people undecided on whether to get the shot. And those people may be swayed by such remarks. They may think if the WHO says it's pointless, why take it?

This is irresponsible, not to mention dangerous. When top officials make such careless remarks, it becomes our duty to set the record straight.

The vaccines are safe and effective. Variant or not,&nbsp;make sure you get the shot at the earliest.

And can the variant really dodge the vaccine?

Last week India's top medical body ICMR published a study. It concluded that Bharat Biotech's Covaxin was effective against the double mutant.

So was the WHO not aware of this study? Or did they choose to ignore it? Or do they disagree with it?

Messaging and response from WHO has been botched up from the word go. WHO did nothing for more than a month when it got news of the virus in December 2019.

It was on January 30 that Dr Tedros finally declare a public health emergency. It took him another month to utter the word pandemic. A lot of harm was done during this time. Some countries banned travel links with China. They were declared racist by the WHO. Dr Tedros called these bans an unnecessary interference. One year later, those countries stand vindicated.

What about lockdowns? The WHO's envoy David Nabarro said lockdowns should be the last resort. Today this is true because we have vaccines. But last year, this advice made no sense. Lockdowns were humanity's first line of defence. It was a circuit breaker for countries to build up resources.

But nothing compares to the WHO's advice on masks.

The headline saying "Face masks could do more harm than good if used incorrectly" is a classic example of negative advice.

The WHO is trying to ask people to wear their masks correctly, but the statement does the opposite. It scares them.

They instead should have made a campaign video on how to wear masks correctly. This is communication 101. Positive messages stick, negative don't.&nbsp;

These are just a few instances where the WHO stumbled. Unfortunately, it happened all the time last year. From masks to lockdowns to travel bans to now vaccines.

The WHO has been like a loose cannon. Firing off assumptions and conjectures. These things are normally expected from politicians and not from health experts.

But then again, the WHO stopped being a health body in 2020.

Vaccine hesitancy, in other words, delay or refusal to take a vaccine, is more common than thought. It is the biggest threat to global vaccine rollout. Bigger than shortage and side effects.

Vaccine hesitancy, in other words, delay or refusal to take a vaccine, is more common than thought. It is the biggest threat to global vaccine rollout. Bigger than shortage and side effects. Vaccine hesitancy is as old as vaccines themselves. There is no single reason for it. In some places, hesitancy is based on religion. Elsewhere, it is politics. But whatever the reason, the end result is never good. × Look at some of the examples from history. These are all instances where vaccine hesitancy led to outbreaks. In 1873 in Stockholm, vaccination rate dropped from 90 per cent to 40 per cent. It was triggered by a religious anti-vax campaign. A deadly smallpox epidemic spread that same year. Another example is from UK and Ireland. In year 2000, people started linking the measles vaccine to Autism. The vaccination rates dropped below 80 per cent. There were 300 cases, 100 hospitalisations and three deaths. All of this was preventable. The bottomline is that vaccine hesitancy is dangerous. Deadly in fact. The World Health Organisation (WHO) ranks it as one of the top 10 global health threats. A proper messaging right from the top can beat this threat. One would expect WHO to give facts and robust advice. Instead, there is confusion and conjecture. On Saturday, WHO's Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan was talking about Wuhan virus variant detected in India. "The one (variant) that was first identified in India, the B 1.617 is likely to be a variant of concern because it has some mutations, which increase transmission, and which also potentially could make them resistant to antibodies that are generated by vaccination or by natural infection," she said. 'Likely' and 'potentially' are the words you don't want health experts to say. Because this is in the realm of possibility. Words have consequences, especially when coming from the WHO's top scientist. She says the new variants may evade the vaccines. There are a lot of people undecided on whether to get the shot. And those people may be swayed by such remarks. They may think if the WHO says it's pointless, why take it? This is irresponsible, not to mention dangerous. When top officials make such careless remarks, it becomes our duty to set the record straight. The vaccines are safe and effective. Variant or not, make sure you get the shot at the earliest. And can the variant really dodge the vaccine? Last week India's top medical body ICMR published a study. It concluded that Bharat Biotech's Covaxin was effective against the double mutant. So was the WHO not aware of this study? Or did they choose to ignore it? Or do they disagree with it? Messaging and response from WHO has been botched up from the word go. WHO did nothing for more than a month when it got news of the virus in December 2019. It was on January 30 that Dr Tedros finally declare a public health emergency. It took him another month to utter the word pandemic. A lot of harm was done during this time. Some countries banned travel links with China. They were declared racist by the WHO. Dr Tedros called these bans an unnecessary interference. One year later, those countries stand vindicated. What about lockdowns? The WHO's envoy David Nabarro said lockdowns should be the last resort. Today this is true because we have vaccines. But last year, this advice made no sense. Lockdowns were humanity's first line of defence. It was a circuit breaker for countries to build up resources. But nothing compares to the WHO's advice on masks. The headline saying "Face masks could do more harm than good if used incorrectly" is a classic example of negative advice. The WHO is trying to ask people to wear their masks correctly, but the statement does the opposite. It scares them. They instead should have made a campaign video on how to wear masks correctly. This is communication 101. Positive messages stick, negative don't. These are just a few instances where the WHO stumbled. Unfortunately, it happened all the time last year. From masks to lockdowns to travel bans to now vaccines. The WHO has been like a loose cannon. Firing off assumptions and conjectures. These things are normally expected from politicians and not from health experts. But then again, the WHO stopped being a health body in 2020.

Clear message from top is needed to battle vaccine hesitancy

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> variant first detected in India has been classified as being "of concern".

"There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility of the B.1.617," Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's lead on coronavirus, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

Watch |&nbsp;

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"As such, we are classifying this as a variant of concern at the global level."&nbsp;

She also said that early studies show the B.1.617 variant, first detected in India in October, has "reduced neutralisation," meaning that the antibodies have less impacted the strain.&nbsp;

However, the global agency stressed that it is too early to say that that the variant has more resistance to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccines</a>.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-cases-plateauing-worldwide-says-world-health-organization-384162">COVID-19 cases plateauing worldwide, says World Health Organization</a>

"Based on current data, the COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing disease and death in people infected with this variant," the WHO said in a statement.&nbsp;

WHO's weekly epidemiological update on Tuesday will provide more information on this variant, Van Kerkhove said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, India continues to battle a new wave of coronavirus that has challenged the country's health infrastructure and raised global concerns.&nbsp;

The country is reporting more than 350,000 daily cases for several days and often is witnessing record infections too, with many experts suggesting that the B.1.617 variant could be behind the massive surge.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the coronavirus variant first detected in India has been classified as being "of concern". "There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility of the B.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday said the coronavirus variant first detected in India has been classified as being "of concern". "There is some available information to suggest increased transmissibility of the B.1.617," Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's lead on coronavirus, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Watch | "As such, we are classifying this as a variant of concern at the global level." She also said that early studies show the B.1.617 variant, first detected in India in October, has "reduced neutralisation," meaning that the antibodies have less impacted the strain. However, the global agency stressed that it is too early to say that that the variant has more resistance to coronavirus vaccines. Also read | COVID-19 cases plateauing worldwide, says World Health Organization "Based on current data, the COVID-19 vaccines remain effective at preventing disease and death in people infected with this variant," the WHO said in a statement. WHO's weekly epidemiological update on Tuesday will provide more information on this variant, Van Kerkhove said. Meanwhile, India continues to battle a new wave of coronavirus that has challenged the country's health infrastructure and raised global concerns. The country is reporting more than 350,000 daily cases for several days and often is witnessing record infections too, with many experts suggesting that the B.1.617 variant could be behind the massive surge.

WHO lists Covid strain first detected in India as 'variant of concern'

The World Health Organization (WHO) on announced that the B.1.617 variant of COVID-19 which was first identified in India, also known as the Indian double mutant, is a ‘variant of concern’ at the global level. WHO said that the double mutant strain has been found to be transmitting more easily than the original version of Coronavirus.

WHO says double mutant strain identified in India 'a variant of concern'

Top W.H.O officials are pushing assumptions and conjectures on vaccine efficacy amid a deadly second wave in India. Instead of speculating vaccine efficacy on virus variants, shouldn't the W.H.O be fighting for universal vaccination? Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Is the W.H.O feeding vaccine hesitancy?

The World Health Organization on Friday approved the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the first Chinese jab to receive the WHO's green light.

The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world.

The WHO has already given emergency use listing to the vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab being produced at separate sites in India and in South Korea.

"This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing's Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference.

"The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, or SAGE, has also reviewed the available data, and recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, with a two-dose schedule."

An emergency use listing by the WHO paves the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve and import a vaccine for distribution, especially those states without an international-standard regulator of their own.

It also opens the door for the jabs to enter the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world and particularly in poorer countries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/grappling-with-covid-19-philippines-to-send-back-chinas-sinopharm-vaccine-383511">Grappling with COVID-19, Philippines to send back China's Sinopharm vaccine</a>

The Sinopharm vaccine is already in use in 42 territories around the world, fourth behind AstraZeneca (166), Pfizer-BioNTech (94) and Moderna (46), according to an AFP tally.

Besides China, it is being used in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Seychelles, among others.

A clutch of other vaccines are on the road towards WHO emergency use listing, including a second Sinopharm product being made in Wuhan,&nbsp;the city where coronavirus was first detected.

A decision is expected within days on Sinovac, a second Chinese-made vaccine already being used in 22 countries.

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is the next furthest ahead in the process.

&nbsp;

The World Health Organization on Friday approved the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the first Chinese jab to receive the WHO's green light. The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world.

The World Health Organization on Friday approved the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, the first Chinese jab to receive the WHO's green light. The UN health agency signed off on the two-dose vaccine, which is already being deployed in dozens of countries around the world. The WHO has already given emergency use listing to the vaccines being made by Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson and Johnson, and the AstraZeneca jab being produced at separate sites in India and in South Korea. "This afternoon, WHO gave emergency use listing to Sinopharm Beijing's Covid-19 vaccine, making it the sixth vaccine to receive WHO validation for safety, efficacy and quality," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a news conference. "The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunisation, or SAGE, has also reviewed the available data, and recommends the vaccine for adults 18 years and older, with a two-dose schedule." An emergency use listing by the WHO paves the way for countries worldwide to quickly approve and import a vaccine for distribution, especially those states without an international-standard regulator of their own. It also opens the door for the jabs to enter the Covax global vaccine-sharing scheme, which aims to provide equitable access to doses around the world and particularly in poorer countries. Also read | Grappling with COVID-19, Philippines to send back China's Sinopharm vaccine The Sinopharm vaccine is already in use in 42 territories around the world, fourth behind AstraZeneca (166), Pfizer-BioNTech (94) and Moderna (46), according to an AFP tally. Besides China, it is being used in Algeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Hungary, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia and Seychelles, among others. A clutch of other vaccines are on the road towards WHO emergency use listing, including a second Sinopharm product being made in Wuhan, the city where coronavirus was first detected. A decision is expected within days on Sinovac, a second Chinese-made vaccine already being used in 22 countries. Russia's Sputnik V vaccine is the next furthest ahead in the process.

WHO approves China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use

2020 was not just the year of pandemic, it was also an infodemic, which mainstreamed conspiracy theories.

It amplified hard-to-digest narratives. With the new year, we thought we had left all this behind. But, just like the virus, the conspiracy theories are back too.

The person to set the conspiracy ball rolling this year is the Brazil&nbsp;President&nbsp;Jair Bolsonaro. Throughout 2020, downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 virus, he refused to wear a mask in public, rejected calls for a lockdown, questioned the efficacy of vaccines and advised his supporters to do the same.

The result of this today&nbsp;is that Brazil, a country with just a quarter of India’s population, is the third-worst Covid-hit country in the world. Brazil now has more than 14 million cases and more than 400,000 deaths to date.

Over Brazil’s current state of affairs, Bolsonaro faces a criminal investigation and a possible impeachment. With this, the Brazilian president has suddenly come to the realisation that this virus, i.e.&nbsp;coronavirus, is in fact quite lethal, and according to him can very well be part of a biological war.

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“It's a new virus, nobody knows if it was born in a lab or because a human ate some animal they shouldn't have. But it is there. And the military knows all about this chemical, biological and radiological warfare. Could we be fighting a new war? I guess. Which country's GDP has grown the most? I am not going to tell you,” said Bolsonaro.

There have been similar conspiracy theories earlier as well. Theories that this virus is not natural and was made in a lab, or that it is a bio-weapon or that 5G can be used to spread this virus.

While entertaining, these theories remain to be merely theories. According to scientists, there is no evidence to back these claims. While trying to counter scientists, some theories claim that thanks to China’s control on the flow of information, maybe these scientists just haven’t come across the evidence yet. 
 
Scientists addressing the lab and biowarfare theory say that if the virus was indeed engineered, there would have been the evidence of any additions or deletions in the virus’s original genetic code or DNA.

Last year, at the onset of this pandemic, there were numerous reports on supposedly how the virus escaped from The Wuhan Institute of Virology. To address these rumours and to probe the origins of COVID-19, a team from WHO travelled to China but were unable to find any proof backing these claims.

Was this because they didn’t get there in time? &nbsp;The team went to China in January this year, more than 13 months after the first case of coronavirus was reported. Instead of answering some of the long-standing questions, this team by WHO came back with more questions. According to them, while the institute at Wuhan had many strains of coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, which has at times been referred to as “Wuhan Virus,” is not among them.

However on March 31, calling for a deeper probe into the lab theory, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said that he does not believe his team's assessment of the lab leak possibility was extensive enough.

It’s been a month since Dr Tedros’s statement, and WHO is still evaluating how to move forward with its probe.

Now, President Bolsonaro can do two things; either ask his military to show the world whatever proof they have to support his claims, or wait for WHO to once again travel to China, and conduct another probe.

But whether this would solve the mystery or not, remains doubtful.

2020 was not just the year of pandemic, it was also an infodemic, which mainstreamed conspiracy theories. It amplified hard-to-digest narratives. With the new year, we thought we had left all this behind.

2020 was not just the year of pandemic, it was also an infodemic, which mainstreamed conspiracy theories. It amplified hard-to-digest narratives. With the new year, we thought we had left all this behind. But, just like the virus, the conspiracy theories are back too. The person to set the conspiracy ball rolling this year is the Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro. Throughout 2020, downplaying the severity of the COVID-19 virus, he refused to wear a mask in public, rejected calls for a lockdown, questioned the efficacy of vaccines and advised his supporters to do the same. The result of this today is that Brazil, a country with just a quarter of India’s population, is the third-worst Covid-hit country in the world. Brazil now has more than 14 million cases and more than 400,000 deaths to date. Over Brazil’s current state of affairs, Bolsonaro faces a criminal investigation and a possible impeachment. With this, the Brazilian president has suddenly come to the realisation that this virus, i.e. coronavirus, is in fact quite lethal, and according to him can very well be part of a biological war. “It's a new virus, nobody knows if it was born in a lab or because a human ate some animal they shouldn't have. But it is there. And the military knows all about this chemical, biological and radiological warfare. Could we be fighting a new war? I guess. Which country's GDP has grown the most? I am not going to tell you,” said Bolsonaro. There have been similar conspiracy theories earlier as well. Theories that this virus is not natural and was made in a lab, or that it is a bio-weapon or that 5G can be used to spread this virus. While entertaining, these theories remain to be merely theories. According to scientists, there is no evidence to back these claims. While trying to counter scientists, some theories claim that thanks to China’s control on the flow of information, maybe these scientists just haven’t come across the evidence yet. Scientists addressing the lab and biowarfare theory say that if the virus was indeed engineered, there would have been the evidence of any additions or deletions in the virus’s original genetic code or DNA. Last year, at the onset of this pandemic, there were numerous reports on supposedly how the virus escaped from The Wuhan Institute of Virology. To address these rumours and to probe the origins of COVID-19, a team from WHO travelled to China but were unable to find any proof backing these claims. Was this because they didn’t get there in time? The team went to China in January this year, more than 13 months after the first case of coronavirus was reported. Instead of answering some of the long-standing questions, this team by WHO came back with more questions. According to them, while the institute at Wuhan had many strains of coronavirus, SARS-COV-2, which has at times been referred to as “Wuhan Virus,” is not among them. However on March 31, calling for a deeper probe into the lab theory, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus said that he does not believe his team's assessment of the lab leak possibility was extensive enough. It’s been a month since Dr Tedros’s statement, and WHO is still evaluating how to move forward with its probe. Now, President Bolsonaro can do two things; either ask his military to show the world whatever proof they have to support his claims, or wait for WHO to once again travel to China, and conduct another probe. But whether this would solve the mystery or not, remains doubtful.

Faced with the possibility of impeachment, Brazil President calls COVID-19 a bio-weapon

India&nbsp;accounted for 46 per cent&nbsp;of the new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> cases recorded worldwide last week and one in four deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

The surge of the coronavirus in&nbsp;India, including of a highly infectious new variant first identified there, has seen hospitals runs out of beds and oxygen, and morgues and crematoriums overflowing.&nbsp;

Worldwide, 5.7 million new cases were reported last week and more than 93,000 deaths, the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological report.&nbsp;India&nbsp;reported nearly 2.6 million new cases, a 20 per cent&nbsp;increase on the previous week, and 23,231 deaths.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-covid-19-cases-cross-20-million-382724">India's&nbsp;COVID-19 cases cross 20 million</a>&nbsp;

The figures are based on official tallies, so&nbsp;India's proportion could be even larger if, as many experts believe, a large number of cases and deaths are not being recorded there as the system becomes overwhelmed.&nbsp;India&nbsp;accounts for almost 18 per cent&nbsp;of the world's population.

There are signs that&nbsp;India's outbreak is spreading to its neighbours. Nepal recorded a 137 per cent&nbsp;increase in cases to 31,088 last week, while Sri Lanka's COVID-19 outbreak was also growing, the WHO said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-coronavirus-variants-are-proving-to-be-fatal-for-patients-in-india-382809">Why coronavirus variants are proving to be fatal for patients in India</a>

On Tuesday&nbsp;India&nbsp;became the second country to record 20 million infections, after the United States.&nbsp;India's coronavirus deaths rose by a record 3,780 during the last 24 hours, with daily infections rising by 382,315 on Wednesday, health ministry data showed.

India accounted for 46 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide last week and one in four deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.

India accounted for 46 per cent of the new COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide last week and one in four deaths, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. The surge of the coronavirus in India, including of a highly infectious new variant first identified there, has seen hospitals runs out of beds and oxygen, and morgues and crematoriums overflowing. Worldwide, 5.7 million new cases were reported last week and more than 93,000 deaths, the WHO said in its weekly epidemiological report. India reported nearly 2.6 million new cases, a 20 per cent increase on the previous week, and 23,231 deaths. Also read | India's COVID-19 cases cross 20 million The figures are based on official tallies, so India's proportion could be even larger if, as many experts believe, a large number of cases and deaths are not being recorded there as the system becomes overwhelmed. India accounts for almost 18 per cent of the world's population. There are signs that India's outbreak is spreading to its neighbours. Nepal recorded a 137 per cent increase in cases to 31,088 last week, while Sri Lanka's COVID-19 outbreak was also growing, the WHO said. Also read | Why coronavirus variants are proving to be fatal for patients in India On Tuesday India became the second country to record 20 million infections, after the United States. India's coronavirus deaths rose by a record 3,780 during the last 24 hours, with daily infections rising by 382,315 on Wednesday, health ministry data showed.

India accounts for 46 per cent of world's new COVID-19 cases, quarter of deaths: WHO

World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus intends to run for a second five-year term as the agency’s chief, Stat News reported on Monday.

Ghebreyesus has remained the face of the agency as the COVID-19 pandemic ripped through the world after emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Ghebreyesus is Ethiopian and in 2017 became the first African to head the World Health Organization which is based in Geneva.&nbsp;

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No confirmation has come in from Ghebreyesus himself or from the World Health Organization. To retain the position, Tedros would require the support of major countries across the world and African countries could hold the key to his reappointment.

In November 2020, he was accused by the Ethiopian military of supporting and attempting to procure arms for Tigray’s dominant political party which was in direct confrontation with the country’s armed forces. Ghebreyesus has denied any involvement in the crisis.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/science-technology/scientists-urge-who-to-look-further-into-coronavirus-origins-381778" hreflang="en">Scientists urge WHO to look further into coronavirus origins</a>

Under his leadership, the WHO has witnessed perhaps the biggest challenge in decades with COVID-19 which continues to log fatalities in many countries. Currently, India remains the epicentre of the virus.

Former US President Donald Trump accused Tedros and the WHO of being too “China-centric” and stopped contributions to the agency while setting off plans to leave the agency. The WHO has denied any wrongdoing in dealing with the Covid crisis.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/covid-crisis-like-in-india-could-happen-anywhere-warns-who-381419" hreflang="en">Covid crisis like in India could 'happen anywhere', warns WHO</a>

When Biden became US President, he announced the country’s return to the organisation and its plans to seek reforms in the health body.

After global doubts over the origins of COVID-19 made noise, the WHO ordered a mission into the virus. But the WHO chief remained distant from the mission which was jointly undertaken with Chinese scientists. According to the report submitted on March 30, the virus jumped to humans from animals and said that a lab leak remained an “extremely unlikely” cause of the virus.

(With inputs from agencies)

World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus intends to run for a second five-year term as the agency’s chief, Stat News reported on Monday.

World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus intends to run for a second five-year term as the agency’s chief, Stat News reported on Monday. Ghebreyesus has remained the face of the agency as the COVID-19 pandemic ripped through the world after emerging in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. Ghebreyesus is Ethiopian and in 2017 became the first African to head the World Health Organization which is based in Geneva. No confirmation has come in from Ghebreyesus himself or from the World Health Organization. To retain the position, Tedros would require the support of major countries across the world and African countries could hold the key to his reappointment. In November 2020, he was accused by the Ethiopian military of supporting and attempting to procure arms for Tigray’s dominant political party which was in direct confrontation with the country’s armed forces. Ghebreyesus has denied any involvement in the crisis. Also read: Scientists urge WHO to look further into coronavirus origins Under his leadership, the WHO has witnessed perhaps the biggest challenge in decades with COVID-19 which continues to log fatalities in many countries. Currently, India remains the epicentre of the virus. Former US President Donald Trump accused Tedros and the WHO of being too “China-centric” and stopped contributions to the agency while setting off plans to leave the agency. The WHO has denied any wrongdoing in dealing with the Covid crisis. Also read: Covid crisis like in India could 'happen anywhere', warns WHO When Biden became US President, he announced the country’s return to the organisation and its plans to seek reforms in the health body. After global doubts over the origins of COVID-19 made noise, the WHO ordered a mission into the virus. But the WHO chief remained distant from the mission which was jointly undertaken with Chinese scientists. According to the report submitted on March 30, the virus jumped to humans from animals and said that a lab leak remained an “extremely unlikely” cause of the virus. (With inputs from agencies)

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to seek re-election: Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said it has listed the anti-COVID-19 Moderna vaccine for emergency use now.

WHO: Moderna jabs have 94.1 percent efficiency

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday listed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, adding another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus. According to The Hill, the shot from Moderna joins shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India and Janssen on WHO's list of emergency use vaccines."

Today, WHO listed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273) for emergency use, making it the fifth vaccine to receive emergency validation from WHO," it said in a statement, according to Sputnik.

WHO experts recommend using the vaccine for patients over 18 years of age. The drug is mRNA-based, it has an efficacy of 94.1 per cent, according to WHO estimates.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="Pfizer/BioNTech seek Covid jab approval for 12-15-year-olds in EU">Pfizer/BioNTech seek Covid jab approval for 12-15-year-olds in EU</a>

The vaccine can be stored between -25oC and -15oC, but it can also be stored for up to 30 days at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C.

The addition of Moderna's shot to the WHO's emergency use listing is a prerequisite for it to be a part of COVAX, the programme to disseminate shots to low-income countries.

It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer the COVID-19 vaccine.

The US&nbsp;granted emergency use authorisation to the Moderna shot in December, with the European Union following shortly after in January.

The authorisation comes as the world works to ramp up its coronavirus vaccinations to significantly curb the pandemic over a year after it broke out in Wuhan, China.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday listed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, adding another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday listed the Moderna coronavirus vaccine for emergency use, adding another shot to its arsenal in the fight against the coronavirus. According to The Hill, the shot from Moderna joins shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca-SK Bio, Serum Institute of India and Janssen on WHO's list of emergency use vaccines." Today, WHO listed the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA 1273) for emergency use, making it the fifth vaccine to receive emergency validation from WHO," it said in a statement, according to Sputnik. WHO experts recommend using the vaccine for patients over 18 years of age. The drug is mRNA-based, it has an efficacy of 94.1 per cent, according to WHO estimates. Also read: Pfizer/BioNTech seek Covid jab approval for 12-15-year-olds in EU The vaccine can be stored between -25oC and -15oC, but it can also be stored for up to 30 days at temperatures between 2°C and 8°C. The addition of Moderna's shot to the WHO's emergency use listing is a prerequisite for it to be a part of COVAX, the programme to disseminate shots to low-income countries. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer the COVID-19 vaccine. The US granted emergency use authorisation to the Moderna shot in December, with the European Union following shortly after in January. The authorisation comes as the world works to ramp up its coronavirus vaccinations to significantly curb the pandemic over a year after it broke out in Wuhan, China.

WHO gives emergency use authorisation to Moderna's COVID-19 jab

In a stark warning to European nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday that relaxing Covid measures can create a "perfect storm" similar to the pandemic situation in India.

New infections and deaths are soaring in India. Experts have indicated that the massive wave can in part be blamed on mass gatherings.

Head of WHO Europe said countries should not make the mistake of relaxing restrictions too soon.

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&nbsp;

"When personal protective measures are being relaxed, when there are mass gatherings, when there are more contagious variants and the vaccination coverage is still low this can create a perfect storm in any country," Hans Kluge, head of WHO Europe told reporters Thursday.

"It is very important to realise that the situation in India can happen anywhere."

The coronavirus variant first detected in India is sweeping the country. There hasn't been any confirmation from the WHO whether the variant is more transmissible or more deadly than other coronavirus strains.

Kluge asked European nations to keep in mind that "individual and collective public health and social measures remain dominant factors in shaping the pandemic's course".

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/medical-oxygen-why-it-is-lacking-and-how-it-is-made-381323">Medical oxygen: Why it is lacking and how it is made</a>

He further said that though number of new cases in the region fell "significantly" last week for the first time in two months, "infection rates across the region remain extremely high".

He said vaccines were on the rise in the European region, with seven percent of the population now fully inoculated.&nbsp;

The WHO said this means that more people in Europe have now received the vaccine than the number of people who have been infected with the disease.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a stark warning to European nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday that relaxing Covid measures can create a "perfect storm" similar to the pandemic situation in India.

In a stark warning to European nations, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday that relaxing Covid measures can create a "perfect storm" similar to the pandemic situation in India. New infections and deaths are soaring in India. Experts have indicated that the massive wave can in part be blamed on mass gatherings. Head of WHO Europe said countries should not make the mistake of relaxing restrictions too soon. × "When personal protective measures are being relaxed, when there are mass gatherings, when there are more contagious variants and the vaccination coverage is still low this can create a perfect storm in any country," Hans Kluge, head of WHO Europe told reporters Thursday. "It is very important to realise that the situation in India can happen anywhere." The coronavirus variant first detected in India is sweeping the country. There hasn't been any confirmation from the WHO whether the variant is more transmissible or more deadly than other coronavirus strains. Kluge asked European nations to keep in mind that "individual and collective public health and social measures remain dominant factors in shaping the pandemic's course". Also Read | Medical oxygen: Why it is lacking and how it is made He further said that though number of new cases in the region fell "significantly" last week for the first time in two months, "infection rates across the region remain extremely high". He said vaccines were on the rise in the European region, with seven percent of the population now fully inoculated. The WHO said this means that more people in Europe have now received the vaccine than the number of people who have been infected with the disease. (With inputs from agencies)

Covid crisis like in India could 'happen anywhere', warns WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against jumping to conclusions about a new coronavirus variant discovered in India, saying it had not yet classified it as worrying. 
 
A WHO spokeswoman said that it was not clear at this point to what extent the variant was responsible for the rapid increase in cases in India in recent months, DPA news agency reported. 
 
There are many factors that could have contributed to this, she said. For example, festivals and other events with many participants may have accelerated infections. 
 
The British coronavirus variant may also be affecting India`s epidemiological situation. 
 
In India, more than 350,000 infections were reported within 24 hours on Monday, more than any country has reported in that timespan. With its 1.3 billion inhabitants, India has recorded a total of more than 17 million infections. 
 
The British, South African and Brazilian variants of Covid-19 have all been classified by the WHO as "variants of concern." 
 
The newest variant was first detected in India on December 1, 2020. 
 
According to the WHO, a variant is considered worrying if it spreads more easily, causes more serious cases of the disease, bypasses the immune system or reduces the effectiveness of known treatments. 
 
Overall, the number of reported infections per week has been increasing for nine weeks, while the number of reported deaths has been increasing for six weeks, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on Monday. 
 
"There were almost as many cases last week as in the first five months of the pandemic combined," said Tedros. In India in particular, the situation is "more than heartbreaking." 
 
The WHO did not have the latest number of infections reported within a week on its website as of Tuesday. On April 19, it reported almost 5.7 million cases worldwide within a week, some 400,000 more than the week before. 
 
On the Gisaid platform, which contains genetic sequences of influenza and the coronavirus, more than 850 sequences of Covid-19 from more than 18 countries had been uploaded by April 23. Most came from India, Britain, the US and Singapore. 
 
However, this does not give an accurate picture of the distribution, as many countries sequence significantly less, others not at all due to a lack of capacity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against jumping to conclusions about a new coronavirus variant discovered in India, saying it had not yet classified it as worrying.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned against jumping to conclusions about a new coronavirus variant discovered in India, saying it had not yet classified it as worrying. A WHO spokeswoman said that it was not clear at this point to what extent the variant was responsible for the rapid increase in cases in India in recent months, DPA news agency reported. There are many factors that could have contributed to this, she said. For example, festivals and other events with many participants may have accelerated infections. The British coronavirus variant may also be affecting India`s epidemiological situation. In India, more than 350,000 infections were reported within 24 hours on Monday, more than any country has reported in that timespan. With its 1.3 billion inhabitants, India has recorded a total of more than 17 million infections. The British, South African and Brazilian variants of Covid-19 have all been classified by the WHO as "variants of concern." The newest variant was first detected in India on December 1, 2020. According to the WHO, a variant is considered worrying if it spreads more easily, causes more serious cases of the disease, bypasses the immune system or reduces the effectiveness of known treatments. Overall, the number of reported infections per week has been increasing for nine weeks, while the number of reported deaths has been increasing for six weeks, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on Monday. "There were almost as many cases last week as in the first five months of the pandemic combined," said Tedros. In India in particular, the situation is "more than heartbreaking." The WHO did not have the latest number of infections reported within a week on its website as of Tuesday. On April 19, it reported almost 5.7 million cases worldwide within a week, some 400,000 more than the week before. On the Gisaid platform, which contains genetic sequences of influenza and the coronavirus, more than 850 sequences of Covid-19 from more than 18 countries had been uploaded by April 23. Most came from India, Britain, the US and Singapore. However, this does not give an accurate picture of the distribution, as many countries sequence significantly less, others not at all due to a lack of capacity.

WHO reserves judgement on Indian coronavirus variant

When the coronavirus was jumping borders, World Health Organization (WHO) was focussed on naming the virus. The world was calling it Wuhan virus on the place it originated from but the WHO disagreed. They said country and culture names cannot be linked to a virus. And they insisted on an anodyne name, sars-cov-2.&nbsp;

Anyone who linked the virus to China or Wuhan&nbsp;was called racist and now, we are living in the wave of mutants as they have been reported all over the world. The world is calling them British mutant, the South African variant, the Brazil variant, the Indian double mutant, etc.&nbsp;

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All of these variants have been geo-tagged. Does anybody say B.1.1.7? That's what everyone calls the UK variant, same for Brazil as no one is calling it the P.1. The World Health Organization has not condemned it or given a clarification. &nbsp;

The WHO allegedly helped China cover up the biggest health crisis of our times. They first criticised travel curbs on China, then praised Beijing's pandemic control, and then scolded world leaders for calling it the China virus.

WHO may act differently if China has a variant, but the country will never admit till the situation explodes. Unlike China, some other countries have been transparent. They have reported variants, kept the world in the loop so that others can prepare themselves. Even Brazil where the president himself is peddling conspiracies did not deny the existence of P1 variant. &nbsp;

The UK variant was among the first to emerge and some British newspapers called it the Kent variant but there weren't cries of racism or bigotry. British diplomats were not up at night, shooting out tweets. The same in India as the government has admitted the presence of mutations and double mutations. Some countries have even banned travel to India, but there is no sign of the WHO. Last year, the travel bans were racist and this year, they are precautionary.&nbsp;

Western media houses lapped up this controversy as they were more than happy to cancel leaders, who called it the Wuhan virus. A CNN headline in March 18, 2020 read ‘Trump's malicious use of Chinese virus’. The article called it xenophobic racism and now in March 31, 2021, it says experts predicted the UK variant would become dominant in the US. This, obviously, is not xenophobic racism.&nbsp;

WHO's eagerness to defend China last year was evident. Now, the enthusiasm has vanished. In January, the WHO met to decide on how to name variants. Three months later, the issue is on the backburner because China's name doesn't figure anywhere. This is hypocrisy of the highest order.&nbsp;

Geo-tagging is almost everywhere. There are African elephant, the Great Indian Bustard, the Royal Bengal Tiger, etc. These animals are also named after places. It is neither a tribute, nor an abuse.&nbsp;

When the coronavirus was jumping borders, World Health Organization (WHO) was focussed on naming the virus. The world was calling it Wuhan virus on the place it originated from but the WHO disagreed.

When the coronavirus was jumping borders, World Health Organization (WHO) was focussed on naming the virus. The world was calling it Wuhan virus on the place it originated from but the WHO disagreed. They said country and culture names cannot be linked to a virus. And they insisted on an anodyne name, sars-cov-2. Anyone who linked the virus to China or Wuhan was called racist and now, we are living in the wave of mutants as they have been reported all over the world. The world is calling them British mutant, the South African variant, the Brazil variant, the Indian double mutant, etc. × All of these variants have been geo-tagged. Does anybody say B.1.1.7? That's what everyone calls the UK variant, same for Brazil as no one is calling it the P.1. The World Health Organization has not condemned it or given a clarification. The WHO allegedly helped China cover up the biggest health crisis of our times. They first criticised travel curbs on China, then praised Beijing's pandemic control, and then scolded world leaders for calling it the China virus. WHO may act differently if China has a variant, but the country will never admit till the situation explodes. Unlike China, some other countries have been transparent. They have reported variants, kept the world in the loop so that others can prepare themselves. Even Brazil where the president himself is peddling conspiracies did not deny the existence of P1 variant. The UK variant was among the first to emerge and some British newspapers called it the Kent variant but there weren't cries of racism or bigotry. British diplomats were not up at night, shooting out tweets. The same in India as the government has admitted the presence of mutations and double mutations. Some countries have even banned travel to India, but there is no sign of the WHO. Last year, the travel bans were racist and this year, they are precautionary. Western media houses lapped up this controversy as they were more than happy to cancel leaders, who called it the Wuhan virus. A CNN headline in March 18, 2020 read ‘Trump's malicious use of Chinese virus’. The article called it xenophobic racism and now in March 31, 2021, it says experts predicted the UK variant would become dominant in the US. This, obviously, is not xenophobic racism. WHO's eagerness to defend China last year was evident. Now, the enthusiasm has vanished. In January, the WHO met to decide on how to name variants. Three months later, the issue is on the backburner because China's name doesn't figure anywhere. This is hypocrisy of the highest order. Geo-tagging is almost everywhere. There are African elephant, the Great Indian Bustard, the Royal Bengal Tiger, etc. These animals are also named after places. It is neither a tribute, nor an abuse.

Is geo-tagging of coronavirus, its mutants not appropriate? 

Coronavirus&nbsp;vaccines remain out of reach in the poorest countries, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report on Friday, marking the&nbsp;first&nbsp;anniversary of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVAX</a>&nbsp;dose-sharing&nbsp;facility.

"Nearly 900 million&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;doses have been administered globally, but over 81% have gone to high- or upper middle-income countries, while low-income countries have received just 0.3%," WHO director-general&nbsp;Tedros&nbsp;Adhanom Ghebreyesus said about the ACT (Access to&nbsp;COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator set up a&nbsp;year&nbsp;ago.

Tedros&nbsp;has repeatedly denounced inequities in&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;distribution and urged wealthier countries to share excess doses to help inoculate health workers in low-income countries. More than 3 million people have died in the pandemic.

COVAX, which has shipped 40.5 million doses to 118 countries so far, aims to secure 2 billion doses by the end of 2021.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="COVAX delivers over 20 million doses to 20 nations">COVAX delivers over 20 million doses to 20 nations</a>

On Thursday,&nbsp;COVAX, co-run by the Gavi&nbsp;Vaccine&nbsp;Alliance and WHO, said it was seeking to bolster its supplies of&nbsp;vaccines for poor countries from new manufacturers as it aims to mitigate supply problems of the AstraZeneca&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;from India, its main shot so far.

"Low-income countries test less than 5% as much as high-income countries, and the majority of countries still have trouble accessing sufficient oxygen and dexamethasone,"&nbsp;Tedros&nbsp;said. He was referring to an inexpensive steroid found to help patients suffering severe&nbsp;COVID-19, the only WHO-approved treatment for the disease.

India reported the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for a second day on Friday, surpassing 330,000 new cases, as it struggles with a health system overwhelmed by patients and plagued by accidents and lack of medical oxygen.

Coronavirus vaccines remain out of reach in the poorest countries, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report on Friday, marking the first anniversary of the COVAX dose-sharing facility.

Coronavirus vaccines remain out of reach in the poorest countries, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report on Friday, marking the first anniversary of the COVAX dose-sharing facility. "Nearly 900 million vaccine doses have been administered globally, but over 81% have gone to high- or upper middle-income countries, while low-income countries have received just 0.3%," WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said about the ACT (Access to COVID-19 Tools) Accelerator set up a year ago. Tedros has repeatedly denounced inequities in vaccine distribution and urged wealthier countries to share excess doses to help inoculate health workers in low-income countries. More than 3 million people have died in the pandemic. COVAX, which has shipped 40.5 million doses to 118 countries so far, aims to secure 2 billion doses by the end of 2021. Also read: COVAX delivers over 20 million doses to 20 nations On Thursday, COVAX, co-run by the Gavi Vaccine Alliance and WHO, said it was seeking to bolster its supplies of vaccines for poor countries from new manufacturers as it aims to mitigate supply problems of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India, its main shot so far. "Low-income countries test less than 5% as much as high-income countries, and the majority of countries still have trouble accessing sufficient oxygen and dexamethasone," Tedros said. He was referring to an inexpensive steroid found to help patients suffering severe COVID-19, the only WHO-approved treatment for the disease. India reported the world's highest daily tally of coronavirus cases for a second day on Friday, surpassing 330,000 new cases, as it struggles with a health system overwhelmed by patients and plagued by accidents and lack of medical oxygen.

Tedros denounces vaccine inequity as COVAX sharing scheme marks first year

Last year, the W.H.O rejected linking country and city names with the virus. Now it is silent when variants are being named after their country of origin. WION's Palki Sharma decodes W.H.O's double standard on virus nomenclature.

Gravitas: W.H.O'S HYPOCRISY ON NAMING VIRUS VARIANTS

The head of Italy's national health institute distanced himself on Friday from a scandal over a spiked World Health Organisation report into Italy's coronavirus response, saying he had no means to interfere with the UN Agency and had never censored even inconvenient information from the public.&nbsp;

Dr Silvio Brusaferro was drawn into the scandal after a leaked document from Bergamo prosecutors last week revealed transcripts of WhatsApp chats between Brusaferro and a WHO official, Dr Ranieri Guerra, who is under investigation for having allegedly made false claims to prosecutors about the report.&nbsp;

The report, published in May last year as a guide to help countries prepare for Covid-19, sparked a nerve because it revealed that the Italian government hadn't updated its pandemic preparedness plan since 2006. &nbsp;

The report was pulled down from the WHO website a day after it was published and was never reposted, sparking speculation WHO spiked it to spare the Italian government embarrassment and possible liability.&nbsp;

The WHO says it contained inaccuracies and inconsistencies and was published prematurely, before it had been fact-checked. &nbsp;

Its lead researcher, Dr Francesco Zambon, says the report received all necessary clearances and believes it was removed because of political pressure and the personal interests of Guerra.&nbsp;

Guerra had been in charge of prevention at the Italian health ministry during the years in which the pandemic plan should have been updated to conform to WHO and EU guidelines. &nbsp;

Guerra has said the plan didn't need to be updated during those years and has denied he tried to censor the WHO report, saying he merely wanted it corrected.&nbsp;

According to the text messages, Guerra used colorful language to inform Brusaferro that he had gotten the report removed from the WHO website and was working to make sure it had disappeared from other websites too.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The head of Italy's national health institute distanced himself on Friday from a scandal over a spiked World Health Organisation report into Italy's coronavirus response, saying he had no means to interfere with the UN Agency and had never censored even inconvenient information from the public.

The head of Italy's national health institute distanced himself on Friday from a scandal over a spiked World Health Organisation report into Italy's coronavirus response, saying he had no means to interfere with the UN Agency and had never censored even inconvenient information from the public. Dr Silvio Brusaferro was drawn into the scandal after a leaked document from Bergamo prosecutors last week revealed transcripts of WhatsApp chats between Brusaferro and a WHO official, Dr Ranieri Guerra, who is under investigation for having allegedly made false claims to prosecutors about the report. The report, published in May last year as a guide to help countries prepare for Covid-19, sparked a nerve because it revealed that the Italian government hadn't updated its pandemic preparedness plan since 2006. The report was pulled down from the WHO website a day after it was published and was never reposted, sparking speculation WHO spiked it to spare the Italian government embarrassment and possible liability. The WHO says it contained inaccuracies and inconsistencies and was published prematurely, before it had been fact-checked. Its lead researcher, Dr Francesco Zambon, says the report received all necessary clearances and believes it was removed because of political pressure and the personal interests of Guerra. Guerra had been in charge of prevention at the Italian health ministry during the years in which the pandemic plan should have been updated to conform to WHO and EU guidelines. Guerra has said the plan didn't need to be updated during those years and has denied he tried to censor the WHO report, saying he merely wanted it corrected. According to the text messages, Guerra used colorful language to inform Brusaferro that he had gotten the report removed from the WHO website and was working to make sure it had disappeared from other websites too. (With inputs from agencies)

Italy health chief distances himself from scandal over spiked WHO report 

A wet market in Wuhan may have launched the pandemic. Now, the WHO is urging countries to suspend the sale of live animals in food markets. Will China now ban its wet markets? WION's Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: WHO's appeal: Suspend sale of live animals in markets

With the right planning, we can contain the coronavirus surge.

But what about the origins of the virus?

That's a question, we still haven't settled and it's important to revisit the question.

Because, history notoriously repeats itself. If we don't fix it now, it will happen again and that's something the world cannot afford.

So, here's the question I've been asking for more than a year.

Did the coronavirus come from a lab in China? Or a wet market in China? &nbsp;

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The World Health Organization (WHO), which launched a probe, doesn't have the answer.

Instead, it has an appeal.&nbsp;It is now urging countries to suspend the sale of live animals in food markets. &nbsp;

Why now? And what does it mean? &nbsp;

Wet markets could have launched this pandemic from China to the rest of the world.

One year on, the Wuhan wet market remains barricaded and empty. The WHO team paid a visit to this market while hunting for clues but came up with nothing conclusive.

Why is this place central to the pandemic story? Because the allegations of cover-up began here, the initial cluster of the virus was noticed here.

There are clues staring the world in the face but the WHO doesn't acknowledge them. Instead, it issues an advisory to shut down all markets, which sell live animals.

The statement came on Tuesday. The world health body urging countries to suspend the sale of live animals in food markets. Why? Because the WHO believes they could be the source of emerging infectious diseases. It says everything but stops short of linking this Chinese market with the coronavirus. &nbsp;

The new WHO guidance says animals, particularly wild animals, are the source of more than 70 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases.

Its investigators said&nbsp;the coronavirus probably emerged in bats first and it spread to humans through an intermediary. &nbsp;

About 28 per cent of the initial cases were linked to the Wuhan wet market. This market sold sika deer, badgers, bamboo rats, live crocodiles and other animals. Some 23 per cent of the cases were tied to other markets in Wuhan but with China withholding data, it's hard to prove they were the source of the pandemic. &nbsp;

The WHO believes that banning the sale of animals in such markets could protect the health of people.

It can only appeal. There's no guarantee that member countries, like China will comply.

Remember, these wet markets were back in business last year in China.

A Reuters correspondent paid a visit to one in Wuhan in December. Shoppers were lining up to buy live fish, frogs and turtles. There is enough medical research to prove these are breeding grounds for deadly viruses, keeping them open is inviting another pandemic.&nbsp;

With the right planning, we can contain the coronavirus surge. But what about the origins of the virus? That's a question, we still haven't settled and it's important to revisit the question.

With the right planning, we can contain the coronavirus surge. But what about the origins of the virus? That's a question, we still haven't settled and it's important to revisit the question. Because, history notoriously repeats itself. If we don't fix it now, it will happen again and that's something the world cannot afford. So, here's the question I've been asking for more than a year. Did the coronavirus come from a lab in China? Or a wet market in China? The World Health Organization (WHO), which launched a probe, doesn't have the answer. Instead, it has an appeal. It is now urging countries to suspend the sale of live animals in food markets. Why now? And what does it mean? Wet markets could have launched this pandemic from China to the rest of the world. One year on, the Wuhan wet market remains barricaded and empty. The WHO team paid a visit to this market while hunting for clues but came up with nothing conclusive. Why is this place central to the pandemic story? Because the allegations of cover-up began here, the initial cluster of the virus was noticed here. There are clues staring the world in the face but the WHO doesn't acknowledge them. Instead, it issues an advisory to shut down all markets, which sell live animals. The statement came on Tuesday. The world health body urging countries to suspend the sale of live animals in food markets. Why? Because the WHO believes they could be the source of emerging infectious diseases. It says everything but stops short of linking this Chinese market with the coronavirus. The new WHO guidance says animals, particularly wild animals, are the source of more than 70 per cent of all emerging infectious diseases. Its investigators said the coronavirus probably emerged in bats first and it spread to humans through an intermediary. About 28 per cent of the initial cases were linked to the Wuhan wet market. This market sold sika deer, badgers, bamboo rats, live crocodiles and other animals. Some 23 per cent of the cases were tied to other markets in Wuhan but with China withholding data, it's hard to prove they were the source of the pandemic. The WHO believes that banning the sale of animals in such markets could protect the health of people. It can only appeal. There's no guarantee that member countries, like China will comply. Remember, these wet markets were back in business last year in China. A Reuters correspondent paid a visit to one in Wuhan in December. Shoppers were lining up to buy live fish, frogs and turtles. There is enough medical research to prove these are breeding grounds for deadly viruses, keeping them open is inviting another pandemic.

WHO advisory to suspend sale of live animals in food markets raises eyebrows

The World Health Organization (WHO) called for a halt to the sale of live wild mammals in food markets to prevent the emergence of new diseases. WHO said that these animals are the source of more than 70% of all emerging infectious diseases in humans.

WHO calls for a halt on sale of live wild animals in food market

Europe passed the grim milestone of one million COVID-19 deaths on Monday, as the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that infections are rising exponentially despite widespread efforts aimed at stopping them.

Europe's COVID-19 death toll surpasses 1 million mark

So far some 780 million vaccines have been administered globally, but measures including wearing masks and maintaining physical distancing must be applied to reverse the trajectory.

Coronavirus pandemic 'A long way from over', says WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom

Experts suggest that different vaccine combinations could work together to enforce the body’s immune response to the virus, there is currently no evidence it will be as effective.

No data currently available on mixing COVID vaccines: WHO

The UK has been ramping the vaccine drive for locals but a senior World Health Organization has warned that the success of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">vaccine</a> programme is not enough to protect the country from another wave of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>.

Dr Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency officer at WHO Europe, warned that since the number of cases is still on an alarming increase in the UK, the country is still at risk of facing another wave of the pandemic.

As the non-essential shops, gyms, outdoor restaurants and pubs are set to re-open in the UK, Smallwood said that “very restrictive measures” were holding the cases down.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-covid-data-shows-more-than-6-million-people-have-had-two-doses-of-vaccine-376163" hreflang="en">UK COVID data shows more than 6 million people have had two doses of vaccine</a>

While she has been urging people to get vaccinated to “build our defences” as the UK still has “potential to develop its own sort of renewed resurgence of cases without any involvement from the rest of Europe,” she said.

She also added that the decline in cases in the UK are not a result of the vaccination.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-advises-alternative-to-oxfordastrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine-for-under-30s-375953" hreflang="en">Britain advises alternative to Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for under-30s</a>

“The population groups that are really driving transmission are still in the majority since the ones that have not yet been vaccinated as a whole,” Smallwood said. “Transmission can still happen in the UK without any washing up on the shores of the European outbreak.”

Another point raised in her interview was that while the eldest generation, who are more at risk of falling critically ill from coronavirus are being vaccinated, the younger generation, who are more exposed to the deadly virus, is not yet being vaccinated.

“Whenever these things happen, the first thing that we worry about is the level of confidence that people have in both the processes and the vaccines themselves. So yes, of course, it’s a concern. And that’s where transparency, trust and communication are all really, really key here,” she said talking about Wednesday’s communication.

The UK has been ramping the vaccine drive for locals but a senior World Health Organization has warned that the success of the vaccine programme is not enough to protect the country from another wave of coronavirus.

The UK has been ramping the vaccine drive for locals but a senior World Health Organization has warned that the success of the vaccine programme is not enough to protect the country from another wave of coronavirus. Dr Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency officer at WHO Europe, warned that since the number of cases is still on an alarming increase in the UK, the country is still at risk of facing another wave of the pandemic. As the non-essential shops, gyms, outdoor restaurants and pubs are set to re-open in the UK, Smallwood said that “very restrictive measures” were holding the cases down. Also read | UK COVID data shows more than 6 million people have had two doses of vaccine While she has been urging people to get vaccinated to “build our defences” as the UK still has “potential to develop its own sort of renewed resurgence of cases without any involvement from the rest of Europe,” she said. She also added that the decline in cases in the UK are not a result of the vaccination. Also read | Britain advises alternative to Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for under-30s “The population groups that are really driving transmission are still in the majority since the ones that have not yet been vaccinated as a whole,” Smallwood said. “Transmission can still happen in the UK without any washing up on the shores of the European outbreak.” Another point raised in her interview was that while the eldest generation, who are more at risk of falling critically ill from coronavirus are being vaccinated, the younger generation, who are more exposed to the deadly virus, is not yet being vaccinated. “Whenever these things happen, the first thing that we worry about is the level of confidence that people have in both the processes and the vaccines themselves. So yes, of course, it’s a concern. And that’s where transparency, trust and communication are all really, really key here,” she said talking about Wednesday’s communication.

UK at risk of facing another wave of coronavirus despite vaccines: WHO

China is punishing top international brands, grabbing land in the South China Sea and calling on W.H.O. to probe a U.S. lab. What for?

Gravitas: China wants W.H.O. to probe a U.S. lab

385 days after declaring a pandemic, WHO still can't pinpoint the source of the Wuhan virus. 14 countries and the WHO Chief - Dr Tedros are now accusing China of withholding data.

Gravitas: 14 Countries and WHO chief accuse China of withholding raw data

At a time when every nation wants an independent probe over the origin of Covid-19 that took millions of lives, New Zealand on Thursday backs off from supporting any joint statement over the latest Covid-19 report released by World Health Organisation. NZ's Foreign Ministry says 'We want to investigate the origins of Coronavirus independently before coming to any conclusion and commenting on the same'

New Zealand backs off from joint statement on Covid report

As several countries experience a surge in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a> cases, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that the region could face a more severe spike in cases than last year.

PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said it is "no accident" that so many countries are observing a surge in coronavirus cases with the incoming summer vacation season in the Southern Hemisphere.

"Without preventive action, our region could face an upsurge even larger than the last one," Etienne said. "So, let me be as clear as possible. My main guidance for places experiencing surges in transmission can be summarised in two words: stay home."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-15-million-doses-of-johnson-johnson-coronavirus-vaccine-destroyed-374630" hreflang="en">US: 15 million doses of Johnson &amp; Johnson coronavirus vaccine destroyed</a>

PAHO, America's chapter of WHO, has reported that the region has been reporting more than a million cases on a daily basis.

"For the past four weeks, we have been reporting around 1 million new cases on average every 7 days. This indicates that transmission is still very active in far too many places in our Region," PAHO claimed in the media briefing.

"The number of deaths also remain high, with more than 34,000 deaths registered just last week (March 22 to 29). Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Paraguay have been reporting the highest rates."

Authorities have also urged experts to increase surveillance to make sure people stay at home and not spread or contract the virus.

"We urge our Member States to reinforce surveillance and act at the first sign that cases are rising. Don’t wait until you are overwhelmed. The risks for your people and health systems are too high."

PAHO also highlighted the challenge of procuring vaccine doses. "As we celebrate progress, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that vaccine supply continues to be our greatest challenge. A large part of this is due to delays in production as manufacturers rush to scale up capacity. But we are also seeing far too many examples of vaccine nationalism, which limits global availability even further."

As several countries experience a surge in coronavirus cases, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that the region could face a more severe spike in cases than last year.

As several countries experience a surge in coronavirus cases, the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has warned that the region could face a more severe spike in cases than last year. PAHO Director Carissa Etienne said it is "no accident" that so many countries are observing a surge in coronavirus cases with the incoming summer vacation season in the Southern Hemisphere. "Without preventive action, our region could face an upsurge even larger than the last one," Etienne said. "So, let me be as clear as possible. My main guidance for places experiencing surges in transmission can be summarised in two words: stay home." Also read | US: 15 million doses of Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine destroyed PAHO, America's chapter of WHO, has reported that the region has been reporting more than a million cases on a daily basis. "For the past four weeks, we have been reporting around 1 million new cases on average every 7 days. This indicates that transmission is still very active in far too many places in our Region," PAHO claimed in the media briefing. "The number of deaths also remain high, with more than 34,000 deaths registered just last week (March 22 to 29). Brazil, Peru, Chile, and Paraguay have been reporting the highest rates." Authorities have also urged experts to increase surveillance to make sure people stay at home and not spread or contract the virus. "We urge our Member States to reinforce surveillance and act at the first sign that cases are rising. Don’t wait until you are overwhelmed. The risks for your people and health systems are too high." PAHO also highlighted the challenge of procuring vaccine doses. "As we celebrate progress, we cannot close our eyes to the fact that vaccine supply continues to be our greatest challenge. A large part of this is due to delays in production as manufacturers rush to scale up capacity. But we are also seeing far too many examples of vaccine nationalism, which limits global availability even further."

'Stay home': Experts warn new COVID surge to be worse than 2020

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