THE World Health Organization is warning everyone to be prepared for Covid and other winter viruses as it launches a new campaign to keep people safe.
The WHO’s No One Knows Your Risk Like You Do awareness programme highlights the dangers which still exist from coronavirus as well as ‘flu and other respiratory illnesses.
WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge stated: “The pandemic has taught us how to protect ourselves and others from respiratory infections.
“Key protective measures include staying at home when sick, practising hand and cough hygiene and ensuring proper ventilation.
“Vulnerable individuals – older people, pregnant women, those with weakened immune systems and chronic conditions – are more at risk of experiencing severe COVID-19 and influenza.
“For them, vaccination remains essential and wearing a well-fitting mask is advised in crowded or enclosed spaces.”
Kluge added: “As we enter our fifth winter since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are much better prepared, armed with the tools and knowledge we need to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe – not just from COVID-19 but indeed all circulating respiratory viruses, including influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).”
But he warned: “This should not be taken for granted.”
He said it was wrong to assume that respiratory viruses always cause ‘mild’ infections.
He said: “They must be taken seriously. And for at-risk groups, they can pose a serious threat to health.
“Each year, the WHO European Region still experiences up to 72,000 deaths from seasonal influenza.”
He said the majority could be avoided and pointed to vaccination as “one of the most effective wats to prevent illness and severe outcomes”.
But he added ‘flu was far from the only concern and said “collective amnesia” on COVID-19 had set in.
He continued: “This is concerning.
“Individuals, communities, and countries understandably want to move on from the trauma of the pandemic years, yet COVID-19 is still very much with us, co-circulating with other respiratory viruses.
“In the past month – up to September 22 – the European Region reported just over 278,000 COVID-19 cases as well as 748 deaths and these figures are likely to be underestimates.”
Kluge said the past few years should have taught us that pathogens are unpredictable.
He said: “COVID-19 devastated every corner of the planet. Mpox clade II emerged unexpectedly in Europe in 2022, and continues to circulate in the Region, even as mpox clade I in Central-East Africa has triggered a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
“And RSV and ‘flu will continue to co-circulate with heightened intensity in the coming months, especially with more people gathering indoors due to colder weather.”
He said people should not underestimate the power of pathogens to wreak havoc on health systems, economies, and society as a whole, urging regular and consistent surveillance and monitoring.
The health expert continued: “We also need to protect our health systems from becoming overburdened.
“Already, health systems across the European Region are facing multiple challenges, with an ageing workforce, severe staff shortages overall, long waiting times and stretched resources.”
He told governments: “Investing in health systems, including a renewed focus on primary health care, is essential.”
But he said every person needed to take steps to ensure they didn’t become sick to ease the pressure on the health services.