WEB DESK
World Health Organization said yesterday it was deeply concerned about thenear-exponential escalation of the new coronavirus pandemic, with the number ofdeaths doubling in a week and confirmed cases crossing one million mark.
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urgedcitizens around the globe to stand together to fight COVID-19, as he braced forthe millionth confirmed case.
The number of deaths has more than doubled in thepast week. In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed cases and50,000 deaths.
Since emerging in China in December, COVID-19has spread across the globe, claiming more than 43,000 lives, and infectingmore than 860,000 people, according to a tally of officially confirmed cases.
A safe vaccine is thought to be 12 to 18 months away, while WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan stressed: There is no therapy that has been proven to be effective in the treatment of COVID-19.