Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb with the latest news surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Stringent public health measures have helped stem the transmission of the coronavirus, but there’s “every chance” of a resurgence as economies reopen, the chief scientist of the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
“We don’t know if it will be a second wave, a second peak or a continuing first wave in some countries, it (the infection rate) really hasn’t come down that much at the time of reopening and so all of these possibilities are very real,” Dr. Soumya Swaminathan told CNBC’s “Street Signs Asia.”
She said a second wave of infection is “a very real risk” as the virus is still present in the community. Extreme social distancing or lockdowns have so far helped blunt the transmission of the disease because people were kept apart.
“Now, the moment you start having that mixing again, there’s every chance that the transmission could restart — unless it’s gone down to such a low level in a place where it’s very, very rare to have the infection in the community,” she said.
That makes it important to have a cautious and “staggered” reopening of economies, she said, adding that governments need to observe the virus’ behavior as more people start to mingle again.
“What we’ve been saying repeatedly is that we cannot be complacent, this virus is a nasty virus and what it needs is people to be in close contact,” Swaminathan said. “So especially in many countries around the world, where it is impossible to have physical distancing, it is really important that people remain vigilant.”
Furthermore, those who are more vulnerable — such as the elderly, people with weak immune systems and those with underlying illnesses, like diabetes and high blood pressure — are likely to get sicker if they are infected with the virus, she said.
People who are more susceptible would need to practice extra care when taking precautions, including not going to crowded areas, wearing a medical mask whenever they go outside and making sure their underlying diseases are “under control,” she said.
More than 7 million people globally have been reported to be infected with Covid-19, which has killed over 400,000 people worldwide, according to data tallied by Johns Hopkins University.
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