“COVID-19 is like nowhere else in South America” ​​- Suriname Herald

“There are no epidemics anywhere near South America, and cases are on the rise in almost every country. More than 1.3 million new cases and 37,000 deaths have been reported in the region over the past week. .

“In areas within Bolivia and Colombia, cases have doubled in the past week, and all four countries in the southern hemisphere have seen an increase in COVID-19 cases, with unprovoked community pollution in recent weeks,” Etienne said in his weekly press release today. Conference.

He noted that more than half of the global deaths reported in the past week were seen in the United States, which “is a sobering reminder of the human number of this epidemic.”

Reduce infections
“Fighting the epidemic begins with staying at home and doing everything we can to protect ourselves and others from getting sick,” Baho continued. “However, despite public health and social activities during these epidemics, we see the population of the region slowly and steadily increasing their mobility over time.”

“If the trend of travel between countries continues to increase, our health systems will be more vulnerable. We cannot facilitate public health and social interventions without proper data and justifications, regardless of the epidemic. Our actions should reflect our reality,” he said.

Etienne said the epidemiological situation in the region was inconsistent as infections were on the rise in some places and declining in others. “In North America, the number of cases and hospitalizations is increasing in Canada, while the number of infections is declining in the United States and Mexico,” he noted.

Worrying
He said the United States, Brazil and Argentina were among the top ten countries in the world with the highest number of new epidemics in the world last week and other countries were not lagging behind. “But there are no more epidemics anywhere than in South America, and cases are on the rise in almost every country,” Etienne said.

“World Health Day, celebrated yesterday, is a day that reflects the importance of health and our commitment to achieving health for all,” he added. With the theme of “Together for a Better, Healthier World”, there is no better time than now to talk about the need for urgent change. “

Over the past year, the virus has greatly increased the imbalances that have long plagued the region, Etienne said. While many of us are lucky enough to be able to work comfortably and safely from home during epidemics, half of our employees depend on the informal economy – staying at home means giving up their livelihood.

Many more are or have been unemployed recently. For the unemployed and the 22 million people living in poverty in the United States this year, “the financial crisis of this epidemic is devastating,” he said. “It is not possible to effectively fight COVID-19 without addressing some of these inequalities and supporting the most vulnerable in their struggle to save themselves.”

Vaccine
He noted that vaccinations continue within the United States, and that more than 210 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in 49 countries and territories in the United States. The PAHO revolving fund has delivered more than 2.6 million COVID vaccines from the COVAX mechanism to 26 countries, and more are heading to the Caribbean.

“But vaccines are certainly only part of our COVID response – and we must continue to rely on public health measures to keep our people and our countries safe,” Etienne said.

While we are all affected by this epidemic, we are not affected equally. To combat COVID-19 effectively, we need to address these inequalities and support the most vulnerable in their struggle to save themselves, Etienne said.