This archive report was first published on 23 April 2020.
As the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 180,000, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a stark warning on April 22, 2020, that the crisis will not end any time soon.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned that most countries are still in the early stages of their epidemics, and some that were affected early in the pandemic are now starting to see a resurgence in cases.
"Make no mistake: we have a long way to go. This virus will be with us for a long time," Tedros said in a virtual press conference.
Europe has seen its death toll climb to 110,000, while Italy, the hardest-hit country behind the United States, has reported over 25,000 fatalities.
Finland has extended its ban on gatherings of more than 500 people until July, while Spain has said it does not expect to lift its strict lockdown until mid-May.
Germany, however, has offered a glimmer of hope by announcing that human trials for a vaccine will start by next week.
As the pandemic continues to spread, more than half of humanity remains under some form of lockdown, with Singapore extending its confinement order until June 1.
Experts warn that the US could face a complicated second coronavirus wave if it dovetails with the seasonal flu this winter, with the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urging Americans to prepare for a more challenging second round of outbreaks.
