The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to get far worse if all nations do not adhere to the basic healthcare precautions, the World Health Organization warned on Monday.
The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom, while addressing a virtual briefing said many countries were not taking the pandemic in the seriousness it deserves.
“Let me be blunt, too many countries are headed in the wrong direction, the virus remains public enemy number one,” he said.
Tedros’ remarks come as the number of COVID-19 infections globally exceed 12.9 million, with a death toll beyond 569,000, according to figures from the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University.
“If the basics aren’t followed, there is only one way this pandemic is going to go. It’s going to get worse and worse and worse,” noted Tedros.
The WHO chief acknowledged that the world’s focus had largely shifted on to the search and development of a vaccine, but he urged countries to remain vigilant in efforts to ensure the disease does not hit harder.
He also noted that there may be no return to the “old normal”, urging people to get used to living with the new precautions and regulations that have been placed in a bid to curb further spread of COVID-19.
