WHO official says rising Covid-19 cases are 'not purely as a result of testing'
Ryan added that the rise in case numbers has occurred at the same time the global Covid-19 death rate has remained stable, which suggests that frontline doctors and nurses may be treating patients earlier and saving more lives
The number of Covid-19 cases around the world is continuing to climb and the increases are "not purely as a result of testing," a World Health Organization official said on Tuesday.
"What is a concern is the fact that the disease numbers are increasing day by day," Dr Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said during a briefing in Geneva, reports the CNN.
"In April and May we were dealing with 100,000 cases a day. Today we're dealing with 200,000 cases a day — and that is not purely as a result of testing," Ryan added. "This epidemic is accelerating."
Ryan added that the rise in case numbers has occurred at the same time the global Covid-19 death rate has remained stable, which suggests that frontline doctors and nurses may be treating patients earlier and saving more lives.
There have now been more than 11 million cases of Covid-19 and more than 535,000 deaths around the world due to the pandemic, according to WHO.
"The outbreak is accelerating and we have clearly not reached the peak of the pandemic," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during Tuesday's briefing.
"While the number of deaths appears to have leveled off globally, in reality some countries have made significant progress in reducing the number of deaths, while in other countries deaths are still on the rise," Tedros said. "Where there has been progress in reducing deaths, countries have implemented targeted actions toward the most vulnerable groups, for example those people living in long-term care facilities."