World may be tired, but the virus 'not tired of us': WHO chief

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll in ways that no one can measure.

It was vital, he said, for people to follow the science and resist the urge to turn a blind eye to the virus.

"We might be tired of COVID-19. But it is not tired of us," he said.

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Tedros, speaking from quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, warned that the virus preys on weakness.

"It preys on those in weaker health, but it preys on other weaknesses too: inequality, division, denial, wishful thinking and willful ignorance, he said.

"We cannot negotiate with it, nor close our eyes and hope it goes away."

"It pays no heed to political rhetoric or conspiracy theories," he said.

"Our only hope is science, solutions and solidarity."

Addressing the WHO's main annual assembly he said that "We can’t measure the grief of families who weren’t able to say goodbye to their loved ones. We can’t measure the fear felt by so many in the face of an uncertain future."

"Almost 50 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 1.2 million people have lost their lives. Millions more have died due to disruption of essential health services".

"No one knows the long-term effects of this virus on the human body, or on the type of world, our children and grandchildren will inherit. Although this is a global crisis, we must remember that countries have responded differently, and they have been affected differently,”.

(With inputs from agencies)