WHO

Almost three times as many died as a result of COVID than officially reported – WHO

May 5 (Reuters) - Almost three times as many people have died as a result of COVID-19 as the official data show, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO)…

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WHO backs Pfizer’s oral COVID therapy Paxlovid for high-risk patients

The World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed the use of Pfizer Inc's oral COVID-19 antiviral treatment in high-risk patients after an analysis of trial data by the U.N. agency showed the…

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Spain, Ireland report cases of mystery hepatitis in children first detected in UK

Cases of the hepatitis first identified in children in the U.K. have now been found in Ireland and Spain, the World Health Organization said in a statement. Since the U.K.…

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UPDATED: WHO says making contingency plans for possible ‘chemical assaults’ in Ukraine

GENEVA, April 7 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's European head said on Thursday that the body was preparing for possible "chemical assaults" in Ukraine. "Given the uncertainties of the current situation,…

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WHO suspends UN supply of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin vaccine for COVID-19

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization said it has suspended supply through United Nations agencies of COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin, produced by India's Bharat Biotech, to allow the manufacturer to upgrade facilities and…

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WHO lays out plan to emerge from emergency phase of pandemic

(Reuters) - The World Health Organization released an updated plan for COVID-19, laying out key strategies that, if implemented in 2022, would allow the world to end the emergency phase of the…

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WHO says there were 64 instances of attacks on health care since Ukraine war started

March 24 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday it had verified 64 instances of attacks on health care in Ukraine between Feb. 24 and March 21 resulting in…

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COVID-19 pandemic is ‘far from over’ -WHO official

GENEVA, March 18 (Reuters) - A World Health Organization spokesperson said on Friday that the end of the COVID-19 pandemic was a long way off, citing a rise in cases in its…

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WHO says global rise in COVID cases is ‘tip of the iceberg’

(Reuters) - Figures showing a global rise in COVID-19 cases could herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, the WHO said, warning…

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Pandemic fallout could exacerbate Europe’s drinking problem – WHO

Europe saw a fall in alcohol consumption in the first year of the pandemic, but that decline could reverse in coming years as the economic fallout of COVID-19 takes its…

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WHO says it advised Ukraine to destroy pathogens in health labs to prevent disease spread

The World Health Organization advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens housed in the country's public health laboratories to prevent "any potential spills" that would spread disease among the population, the…

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WHO announces 2nd hub for training countries to make COVID vaccines

Feb 23 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization said on Wednesday it has set up a hub in South Korea to train low- and middle-income countries to produce their own vaccines and therapies, and…

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WHO says quarantine can be shortened in places with high COVID cases

The World Health Organization said countries struggling with surging COVID-19 infections may shorten the recommended quarantine duration of 14 days in some situations. The U.N. agency said its new guidelines…

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WHO must be bolstered to strengthen global health security, says Tedros

JAKARTA, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Efforts to strengthen global health security will only succeed if the role of the World Health Organization (WHO) is enhanced, the agency's head said on Thursday, as…

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WHO chief scientist: pandemic has not ended as more variants expected

CAPE TOWN, Feb 11 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, said on Friday that the world was not yet at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic…

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Africa COVID cases could be seven times higher than reported – WHO

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 10 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization estimates that the number of COVID-19 infections in Africa could be seven times higher than official data suggests, while deaths from…

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COVID infections, deaths on the rise in Middle East

Middle Eastern countries have seen a rise in coronavirus infections in the last six weeks because of low vaccination rates, officials at the WHO's Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office said. Reported…

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WHO held talks on COVID origins with Chinese premier

The head of the World Health Organization said he had discussed with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang the need for stronger collaboration on the origins of COVID-19, a subject of controversy…

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Europe entering Covid pandemic ‘ceasefire’, says WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) Europe director says the continent could soon enter a "long period of tranquillity" in the Covid-19 pandemic. Dr Hans Kluge cited high vaccination rates, the…

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Huge volumes of COVID hospital waste threaten health – WHO

Discarded syringes, used test kits and old vaccine bottles from the COVID-19 pandemic have piled up to create tens of thousands of tonnes of medical waste, threatening human health and the environment,…

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UPDATED: WHO head says ‘dangerous’ to assume pandemic is nearing end

Jan 24 (Reuters) - The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday it would be dangerous to assume that the highly transmissable Omicron was the last variant…

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End of pandemic in Europe ‘plausible’ says WHO

The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director said Sunday. "It's plausible that…

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WHO says no evidence healthy children, adolescents need COVID-19 boosters

There is no evidence at present that healthy children and adolescents need booster doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said. Speaking at a news…

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WHO warns pandemic not over amid Europe case records

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning to world leaders that the coronavirus pandemic "is nowhere near over". Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned against the…

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‘More mutations coming,’ WHO expert warns

Dr David Nabarro, a World Health Organisation (WHO) special envoy for COVID-19, has told Sky News there was "light at the end of the tunnel" for the UK in tackling…

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WHO recommends Eli Lilly, GSK-Vir’s drugs, widening COVID-19 treatment pool

A World Health Organization (WHO) panel recommended use of two drugs by Eli Lilly, and GlaxoSmithKline and Vir Biotechnology for COVID-19 patients, adding treatment options as the fast-spreading Omicron variant…

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More than 85% of people in Africa yet to receive vaccine

In Africa, more than 85% of people are yet to receive a single dose of vaccine, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference. “We cannot end the acute…

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COVID-19 cases surged in Mideast in early Jan but deaths fell – WHO official

CAIRO, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A "shocking" surge in COVID-19 cases across the World Health Organization's Eastern Mediterranean region is probably due to the Omicron variant, a WHO official said,…

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Omicron less severe than Delta but still poses danger for unvaccinated: WHO

The highly infectious Omicron coronavirus variant causes less severe disease than the Delta strain but it remains a "dangerous virus", particularly for those who are unvaccinated, the head of the…

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Too soon to treat COVID-19 like flu as Omicron spreads – WHO

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is on track to infect more than half of Europeans, but it should not yet be seen as a flu-like endemic illness, the World Health…

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Omicron may be less severe in young and old, but not ‘mild’ – WHO

The more infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 appears to produce less severe disease than the globally dominant Delta strain, but should not be categorised as "mild", World Health Organization (WHO)…

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Omicron coronavirus strain spreading significantly faster than Delta -WHO

The Omicron coronavirus variant has been reported in 89 countries and the number of cases is doubling in 1.5 to 3 days in areas with community transmission, the World Health…

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COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against Omicron – WHO

Preliminary evidence indicates that COVID-19 vaccines may be less effective against infection and transmission linked to the Omicron coronavirus variant, which also carries a higher risk of reinfection, the World…

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UPDATED: Omicron poses “very high” global risk but data on severity limited – WHO

GENEVA, Dec 13 (Reuters) - The Omicron coronavirus variant, reported in more than 60 countries, poses a "very high" global risk, with some evidence that it evades vaccine protection but…

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WHO exec: donated COVID-19 vaccines with short shelf life ‘major problem’

GENEVA, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Wealthy countries donating COVID-19 vaccines with a relatively short shelf life has been a “major problem” for the COVAX dose sharing programme, a senior official…

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UPDATED: People with health issues or inactivated vaccine should get COVID-19 booster – WHO

The World Health Organization's (WHO) vaccine advisory panel recommends that people who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated vaccine should receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 shot, it said…

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WHO’s Tedros tells world “Act now to curb Omicron’s spread”

GENEVA, Dec 8 (Reuters) - Governments need to reassess national responses to COVID-19 and speed up vaccination programmes to tackle Omicron, though it is it too early to say how…

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Omicron reported in 57 countries, hospitalizations set to rise – WHO

The Omicron variant has been reported in 57 nations and the number of patients needing hospitalisation is likely to rise as it spreads, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.…

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Vaccines should work against Omicron variant, WHO says

Existing vaccines should still protect people who contract the Omicron variant from severe Covid cases, a World Health Organization (WHO) official says. It comes as the first lab tests of…

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Malaria deaths rise by 69,000 in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions, says WHO

Healthcare disruptions linked to the coronavirus pandemic helped malaria kill 69,000 more people in 2020 than the previous year, but a worst-case scenario was averted, the World Health Organization said on Monday.…

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WHO chief scientist says Omicron ‘quite infectious’, must not panic

Dec 3 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said the new coronavirus variant Omicron is very transmissible but that people should not panic about it. Swaminathan…

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WHO says vaccination, not travel curbs, key to battling Omicron

MANILA, Dec 3 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) urged countries to boost healthcare capacity and vaccinate their people to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the…

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WHO agrees to launch talks on pact to tackle pandemics

GENEVA, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) agreed on Wednesday to launch negotiations on an international pact to prevent and control future pandemics at a time when…

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Moderna CEO warns COVID-19 shots less effective against Omicron, spooks markets

Drugmaker Moderna's CEO (MRNA.O) set off fresh alarm bells in financial markets on Tuesday after he warned that COVID-19 vaccines were unlikely to be as effective against the Omicron variant…

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WHO flags Omicron risk, curbs tighten worldwide, Biden urges vaccination

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that the Omicron coronavirus variant carried a very high risk of infection surges as more countries closed borders, casting a shadow over economic recovery…

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WHO says it is not yet clear if Omicron causes more severe disease

GENEVA, Nov 28 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday that it is not yet clear if the new Omicron coronavirus variant is more transmissible compared to…

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WHO nears consensus on future international pact to prevent pandemics

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is inching closer to a consensus to negotiate an international agreement to prevent future pandemics, although Washington is so far reluctant to make the pact…

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WHO names new COVID variant omicron, cautions against travel measures

GENEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday classified the B.1.1.529 variant detected in South Africa as a SARS-CoV-2 "variant of concern," saying it may spread…

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Right to be concerned about new COVID variant -WHO’s Nabarro

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - It is appropriate to be concerned about the new COVID coronavirus variant spreading in Southern Africa, the World Health Organisation's Special Envoy on COVID-19 David…

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UPDATED: WHO meets to designate new variant, cautions against travel measures

NEVA, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Friday cautioned countries against hastily imposing travel restrictions linked to the new B.1.1.529 variant of COVID-19, saying they should…

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Children at lower risk from COVID, vaccines should go to poor – WHO

GENEVA, Nov 24 (Reuters) - As children and adolescents are at lower risk of severe COVID-19 disease, countries should prioritise sharing vaccine doses with the COVAX programme to bring urgently…

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Bigger use of masks in Europe over winter would ‘save about 160,000 lives’

Robb Butler, executive director for WHO Europe, told Sky News that a study issued last week in the BMJ suggested 53% of transmission was prevented by mask use. He said…

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Total COVID deaths in Europe could exceed 2.2 million by March -WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) said a further 700,000 people could die from COVID-19 in Europe by March, taking the total to above 2.2 million, as it urged people to…

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World must bolster WHO and agree pandemic treaty, expert panel says

GENEVA, Nov 22 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation (WHO) must be strengthened with more funding and greater ability to investigate pandemics through a new treaty, an independent panel said…

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WHO and CDC warn world at risk of measles outbreaks as COVID-19 disrupts infant shots

The risk of measles outbreaks is high after more than 22 million infants missed their first vaccine doses during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and…

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COVID-19 cases near 250 million as Delta surge eases

Nov 7 (Reuters) - Worldwide cases due to COVID-19 were approaching 250 million on Sunday as the surge from the Delta variant eases and more normal trade and tourism resume,…

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No decrease in effectiveness if COVID-19 jab and flu vaccine is taken together – WHO

COPENHAGEN, Nov 4 (Reuters) - People can get inoculated against COVID-19 and the seasonal influenza at the same time without compromising the vaccines' effectiveness, a World Health Organization official said…

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