WHO sees 'green shoots of hope' as countries ramp up COVID-19 testing, tracing

There are green shoots of hope in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, which shows that together through global solidarity, humanity can overcome this crisis, the World Health Organisation Director-General said on Wednesday. The remark was made even as the WHO chief noted that the number of COVID-19 cases globally has topped 8 million and cases in the Americas, Africa, and South Asia are still rising rapidly.

In a press briefing, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The world has now recorded more than 8 million cases of COVID-19. In the first two months, 85,000 cases were reported. But in the past two months, 6 million cases have been reported. There have been more than 435,000 deaths and in the Americas, Africa, and South Asia; cases are still rapidly rising."

He added, "However, there are green shoots of hope, which show that together through global solidarity, humanity can overcome this pandemic. We now have good examples of many countries that have shown how to effectively suppress the virus with a combination of testing, tracing, and quarantining patients and caring for those that get sick."

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Testing ramping up, tracing helped by tech

The WHO chief highlighted that lab capacity to test COVID-19 infections has been dramatically enhanced across the world, which is critical for identifying where the virus is and informing government actions. He also noted that contact tracing applications developed by tech companies are helping to contain outbreaks.

"New mega hubs have been established that are now key to the distribution of personal protective equipment, which includes millions of masks, goggles, aprons and gloves; as well as other medical supplies. "Tech companies have developed applications that can assist with the critical task of contact tracing," Dr. Ghebreyesus said, adding, "And there has been an enormous effort to accelerate the science around the pandemic."

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Coronavirus pandemic

More than 8.1 million people have been confirmed to have the new coronavirus around the world. Nearly four million have recovered, while approaching 444,000 have died, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The United States has the most cases and deaths, followed by Brazil, Russia, and India. The cases are rising at its fastest pace in Latin America and South Asia while the US and China have now reported a second wave of infections.

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