New York Times confirmed what we always expected, on May 11, 2021. This is that global COVID cases are falling, although they are surging in countries that lack vaccine rollouts. The contrast is especially evident between Europe gradually reopening, and deaths rapidly increasing in South East Asia. However, the entire world remains under watch for new variants.
Western Nations Behind COVID Cases Falling
The Western nations, especially Europe and then North America took the brunt of the surge first evident in China. However, the virus is receding there, thanks to their wealth affording what New York Times calls ‘robust vaccination campaigns’.
But the surge is continuing unabated in India, which is currently reporting nearly half the world’s 772,000 new daily cases. Moreover, Southeast Asian countries including Cambodia, Thailand and Malaysia that originally fended the virus off, are beginning to surge too.
The Director General of World Health Organization considers we are still in danger from case numbers. That’s because surges are exponentially capable of generating new mutants that could defeat current vaccines. The world is in a ‘perilous situation’ he believes, as long as global infections remain on an unacceptably high plateau.
Scientists Warn if the Virus Spreads Unchecked
If overall COVID cases stop falling as the virus spreads unchecked in areas without vaccines, then scientists are deeply concerned. The risk from new variants is already confirmed in India, where a new version is spreading. And this could filter through to wealthy Western nations if we don’t take care.
‘We’re going to see a bit of a ‘whack-a-mole’ situation for some time to come, as local and regional outbreaks flare up and burn out.’ So says Dr. Robert Schooley, chief of the infectious disease division at University of California San Diego.
He says this trend will continue as long as a substantial part of the global population remains un-vaccinated. Perhaps, we will never beat the challenge until the whole world has the jab.
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