COVID-19: WHO chief urges mothers to breastfeed even if infected with virus

The World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on August 3 recommended mothers to breastfeed their babies even if they have contracted COVID-19. As the world marks breastfeeding awareness week, Tedros informed that the benefits of breastfeeding for newborn babies substantially outweigh the potential risk of COVID-19 infections. 

While speaking at a news conference, Tedros said, “WHO recommends that mothers with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 should be encouraged, the same as all other mothers, to initiate or continue to breastfeed”. 

He further added, “Mother and infant should be helped to remain together while rooming-in throughout the day and night and to practise skin-to-skin contact, including kangaroo mothercare, especially immediately after birth and during establishment of breastfeeding, whether they or their infants have suspected or confirmed COVID-19”. 

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‘No silver bullet’ yet for COVID-19 

Meanwhile, at the same conference, the WHO Chief also warned that there might never be a ‘silver bullet’ for the novel coronavirus despite several vaccine trials. Tedros said that a number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials, however, there is no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be. Dr Ghebreyesus called the meeting a “sobering moment” as the committee had advised that the outbreak constituted a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

On January 30, there were fewer than 100 cases and no reported deaths outside China and in three months, three million COVID-19 cases and over 200,000 had been reported to WHO. Tedros highlighted that the world has witnessed the social, economic, and political damaged caused by the coronavirus, apart from the health impact. The Emergency Committee has put forward a number of recommendations for countries to bring the virus under control. 

Tedros also provided updates on the investigation into the origin of coronavirus, which is believed to be originated from a wet market in Wuhan. He said that the WHO advance team that travelled to China has now concluded their mission to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus origins. WHO and Chinese experts have drafted the ‘Terms of Reference’ for the studies and programme of work for an international team’. 

(Image: AP) 

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