About four months have passed since the detection of the first patient affected by COVID-19, and today the virus has reached practically every corner of the planet. In the last five weeks we have witnessed an almost exponential escalation in the number of new cases, as stated by Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus, director of the World Health Organization (WHO). “The number of deaths has more than doubled in the last week. In the next few days we will reach a million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths ”, he assured.
While Europe and the US face the possible collapse of their health systems, the arrival of the virus to South America and Africa is also worrying, although it remains to be seen how the disease evolves there. If anything, the social, economic and political consequences in these regions could be devastating. “It is essential to ensure that these countries are well equipped to detect, test, isolate and treat cases and identify contacts. It encourages me to see that this is happening in many countries, despite limited resources, “explained the head of WHO.
Another area towards which the world looks with concern is Central America, where many people in vulnerable situations live and where there are strong migratory movements.
Debt relief for the most fragile countries
Although in Europe the crisis of the new coronavirus is already wreaking havoc on the economy, here at least we have a social protection system. In many countries, however, most people live from day to day, and not being able to leave the house to earn a living can literally mean not eating. For this reason, the WHO has called on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to alleviate the debt of developing countries.
