This archive report was first published on 4 August 2020.
As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has issued a stark warning: there may never be a silver bullet against the disease.
Speaking at a press conference, Dr. Tedros emphasized that while several vaccines are in the final stages of clinical trials, there is no guarantee of their effectiveness.
"A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials, and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection," Dr. Tedros said.
However, he cautioned that there is no silver bullet at the moment, and there might never be.
Dr. Tedros stressed that stopping the COVID-19 outbreak requires a combination of public health measures, including testing, isolating and treating positive cases, and tracing, testing and quarantining their contacts.
He also urged leaders to inform, empower and listen to their communities, and individuals to adhere to measures in place, such as wearing face masks, washing hands regularly, and keeping distance.
Even when the disease appears to be under control, Dr. Tedros warned that it can easily resurface, as has been seen in China, Spain and Italy.
"We have seen around the world that it’s never too late to turn this pandemic around," Dr. Tedros said.
As of now, COVID-19 has infected over 18 million people and killed over 700,000, with over 11 million recovered. In Kenya, the number of COVID cases has seen an exponential rise in the past few weeks, standing at 22,597 cases.
