Brazil and India passed COVID-19 case milestones today, as the United Nations launched a $10.3 billion appeal for G20 nations to help low-income countries battle the virus, seen as a key step in stopping global circulation.
The global total today climbed closer to 14 million cases and is at 13,921,699, and 593,072 people have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
Appeal for help for countries in crisis
Fresh from attending events in France and Spain that honored health workers who have cared for COVID-19 patients, World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said at a briefing today that the pandemic has shown that there is no health without health workers.
He said about 10% of the global COVID-19 total are healthcare workers, of whom many are also suffering from physical and psychological exhaustion after months of working in extremely stressful environments. "We all owe health workers an enormous debt – not just because they have cared for the sick. But because they have risked their own lives in the line of duty," Tedros said.
The COVID-19 pandemic is poised to worsen humanitarian crises, and lockdowns and other restrictions are taking a heavy toll on an estimated 220 million who live under those conditions, such as those in Africa in the Middle East that have experienced years of conflict, Tedros said.
At today's WHO briefing, Mark Lowcock, the United Nations (UN) undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and its emergency relief coordinator, said the UN has updated the Global Humanitarian Response Plan that it first issued in March. The plan addresses the needs of 63 countries that are experiencing humanitarian crises.
The plan update comes with a $10.3 billion appeal to G20 countries to fight COVID-19 in the low-income crisis countries. He said the pandemic and related global recession are about to wreak havoc on fragile and low-income countries. The initial plea back in March was for $2 billion, and so far $1.7 billion has been raised, far short of what is needed, and the increased amount in the update "is a metaphor for the explosive nature of the outbreak," Lowcock said, adding that the funds would cover relief transportation
The human tragedies that come in the wake of the pandemic could be more brutal and destructive than the pandemic itself, he warned. Officials project that the pandemic will put 130 million people on the brink of starvation, double the current number. For the first time since the 1990s, the global poverty level has risen.
Lowcock, said developed countries can benefit from helping poor and crisis countries battle COVID-19, because inactions leave the virus free to circle the globe and undo years of development.
Brazil, India pass case milestones
Brazil and India, the world's second and third worst-hit country, today crossed major milestones, with Brazil passing 2 million cases and India topping 1 million cases. Brazil reported nearly 44,000 cases yesterday, and according to a CNN, the virus is now spreading to southern and central-western states that had previously reported low COVID-19 levels.
At today's WHO briefing, Mike Ryan, MD, head of the WHO's health emergencies program, said cases have plateaued in Brazil, but they're not falling in a systematic way. "Brazil is still very much in the middle of the fight," he said, adding that healthcare workers make up 1 in 10 of the country's infections.
Though spread isn't exponential anymore and cases aren't doubling as quickly, there's no guarantee that the outbreak will decline on its own, Ryan said, adding that Brazil has the opportunity to set the rules for the virus and needs sustained and concerted action.
India, in passing the 1 million mark, reported nearly 35,000 new cases today, Reuters reported. Health officials said the virus is spreading beyond India biggest cities, some of which have ordered new lockdowns, such as Bengaluru, the country's tech hub.
Epidemiologists say India is still months away from reaching its peak, according to the report.
In another development, despite rising cases, India said it will resume international flights with certain countries, including the United States, France, and Germany, CNN reported. International flights, except for repatriation, had been suspended since March 23.
Other countries battle flare-ups
In France, the reproduction rate has risen sharply in Brittany region, a popular tourist destination, raising worries about another rise in COVID-19 activity, Reuters reported. France yesterday announced plans to speed up a mandatory mask requirement for people in enclosed public spaces.
Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has stepped up restrictions in the country's northeast, following a sharp rise in cases. According to Reuters, COVID-19 illnesses are increasing in Moravia-Silesia region, an industrial areas that borders Poland and Slovakia.
In other countries battling resurgences, Australia's Victoria state reported a new daily high of 428 new cases, and neighboring New South Wales state announced it will impose new restrictions, such as limiting attendance at churches, funerals, and weddings, following a spate of community transmission cases. Also, Japan reported 623 cases today, its highest jump since April 10. Nearly half are from Tokyo.
In other global developments:
- South Korean regulators today approved a human trial of an experimental antibody treatment developed by Celltrion Inc, which is based on antibodies from a blood sample from one of the first patients in South Korea who recovered from COVID-19. Preliminary results are expected by the end of the year, and human trials begin soon across Europe.
- China is experiencing its worst flooding in decades, which is disrupting supply chains, including personal protective equipment exports, Reuters reported.
