World Health Organisation said that over 40 athletes at the Paris Olympics have tested positive for COVID-19 and raised concerns over increasing cases of vaccination on a global level.
According to the reports, several high-profile athletes have suffered from COVID-19 in the Paris Olympics including, British swimmer Adam Peaty, who tested positive a day after winning silver in the 100m breaststroke. Australian medal hopes Lani Pallister pulled out of the women's 1500m freestyle after falling ill.
WHO's epidemic and pandemic preparedness and prevention director, Maria Van Kerkhove, said, “COVID-19 is still very much with us. The virus is circulating in all countries."
“Data from 84 countries shows that the percentage of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 - the virus that causes COVID-19 disease - "has been rising for several weeks," she then cited, adding, "the high circulation was not typical for respiratory viruses which tend to circulate more in the colder months.”
However, "in recent months, regardless of season, many countries have experienced surges of COVID-19, including at the Olympics, currently, where at least 40 athletes have tested positive," she added.
She continued, "It's not surprising to see athletes being infected, because as I said before, the virus is circulating quite rampantly in other countries."
Van Kerkhove said the Paris 2024 chiefs and the WHO had worked together to prevent disease circulation at the Games and the right measures were being taken.
"We have observed more people wearing masks at the Olympics -- and I think that is to take into consideration the circulation of SARS-CoV-2," she said.
WHO further professed the virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic is on the rise and vaccination coverage has declined over the past two years.
“Over the last two years, we have seen an alarming decline in vaccine coverage, especially among health workers and people over 60 - two of the most at-risk groups. This urgently needs to be turned around," said Van Kerkhove, branding their current coverage rates "abysmal".
Van Kerkhove explained, "Our worry is ... with such low coverage and with such large circulation if we were to have a variant that would be more severe, then the susceptibility of the at-risk populations to develop severe disease is huge.”
Furthermore, about six per cent of symptomatic cases go on to develop post-Covid conditions, or Long Covid, causing a "massive burden" for health services.
Post-pandemic, "the perception that COVID is gone is real ... but the virus isn't gone," Van Kerkhove stressed.
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