WHO estimates Covid-19 deaths three times higher than reported

WHO Covid expert Maria Van Kerkhove told the media that the lack of testing means that Covid-19 cases are underreported. © Keystone / Martial Trezzini

The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the handling of Covid-19 worldwide. Too little vaccination is being carried out and people are not taking enough protective measures, said the Geneva-based group.

“Although we are not in a crisis, Covid-19 remains a threat to global health,” said WHO Covid expert Maria Van Kerkhove in Geneva on Friday.

According to her, too few protective measures are being taken including wearing masks where many people come together in confined spaces, keeping people at home if they show signs of illness and keeping rooms well ventilated. More also needs to be done to better investigate and treat the long-term consequences of a coronavirus infection.

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According to Van Kerkhove, it is estimated that 6% of people who have a corona infection with symptoms experience long-term complications. These include severe fatigue, but also neurological conditions and heart disease.

Long-term complications occur when symptoms persist for more than three months. The WHO is concerned about what consequences will still be visible in five or more years’ time. These are all good reasons to avoid infections as far as possible. The vaccines protect against severe cases. Older people over 75 and younger people with other illnesses or weak immune systems in particular should receive a booster vaccination every six to twelve months.

The WHO criticizes the fact that there is hardly any testing in many countries. The actual number of cases is likely to be far higher than the reported cases. Wastewater investigations suggest that the virus is circulating 2 to 19 times more than the reported figures suggest. By the end of 2023, around seven million deaths from Covid-19 had been reported to the WHO. The true figure is likely to be at least three times higher, Van Kerkhove said.

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