Covid-19 pandemic isn’t slowing down, WHO chief scientist warns

World Health Organisation’s chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said in a recent interview with the Bloomberg there was clear evidence that the coronavirus pandemic isn’t slowing down.

Swaminathan said cases are rising in five of six WHO regions, and mortality rates in Africa have jumped by 30% to 40% in two weeks

She attributed the continuous spread of the virus to the Delta variant, social mixing, ease in lockdown restrictions and slow pace of vaccination.

She said if one person infected by the original virus could infect close to three people, a person infected with the Delta variant could infect close to 8 people.

She pointed out large parts of the world still face oxygen shortages, a lack of hospital beds and higher mortality.