Month: April 2020

In a scientific brief issued on Friday, the UN health agency said there was no proof that one-time infection could lead to immunity, and “laboratory tests that detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 [the virus that causes COVID-19] in people…need further validation to determine their accuracy and reliability.”

“Some governments have suggested that the detection of antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, could serve as the basis for an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate’ that would enable individuals to travel or to return to work assuming that they are protected against re-infection,” said WHO, adding: “There is currently no evidence that people who have recovered from COVID-19 and have antibodies are protected from a second infection.”

As part of its guidance on adjusting public health and social measures for the next phase of the COVID-19 response, WHO stressed that it continues to review the evidence on antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The new guidance comes amid media reports that some countries have announced their intention to issue so-called “immunity cards” that would allow individual travel, based on the assumption that a person infected with the coronavirus could not be infected a second time.

While most of the relevant studies show that people who have recovered from infection have antibodies to the virus, WHO noted that as of yesterday, “no study has evaluated whether the presence of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 confers immunity to subsequent infection by this virus in humans.”

“At this point in the pandemic, there is not enough evidence about the effectiveness of antibody-mediated immunity to guarantee the accuracy of an ‘immunity passport’ or ‘risk-free certificate,’” the WHO warned.

WHO said: “People who assume that they are immune to a second infection because they have received a positive test result may ignore public health advice. The use of such certificates may therefore increase the risks of continued transmission.”

The agency later clarified in a tweet that it expects that most people who are infected with COVID-19 will develop an antibody response that will provide some level of protection. “What we don’t yet know is the level of protection or how long it will last. We are working with scientists around the world to better understand the body’s response to COVID-19 infection.”

‘Landmark collaboration’ on COVID-19 testing and treatment

The UN health agency’s new guidance comes after world leaders, scientists, humanitarians and private sector partners came together on Friday in “a landmark collaboration” to make new tools and medicines to diagnose and treat COVID-19, accessible to people everywhere.

The virtual launch of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, saw participation from all corners of the planet to boost commitment and support for the production of diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to save lives from an unprecedented enemy.

“A world free of COVID-19 requires the most massive public health effort in global history,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking from New York.

“Data must be shared, production capacity prepared, resources mobilized, communities engaged, and politics set aside. I know we can do it. I know we can put people first”.

COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019 and was declared a global pandemic three months later. So far, there have been more than 2.6 million cases worldwide, and nearly 182,000 deaths, according to WHO.

The health crisis has also affected everything from the global economy, to education, employment and travel.

Since January, the agency has been working with thousands of researchers across the globe to accelerate and track development of a vaccine against the disease. 

WHO has also developed diagnostics which are being used by several countries and is currently coordinating a “solidarity” clinical trial of four therapeutics to treat the virus.

“The world needs these tools, and it needs them fast,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, one of the co-hosts of Friday’s event.

The virtual launch of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, saw participation from all corners of the planet to boost commitment and support for the production of  diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to save lives from an unprecedented enemy.

Heads of State who took part included the Presidents of France,  South Africa, Costa Rica, Spain and Rwanda.

“A world free of COVID-19 requires the most massive public health effort in global history,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, speaking from New York.

“Data must be shared, production capacity prepared, resources mobilized, communities engaged, and politics set aside. I know we can do it. I know we can put people first”.

No one is safe

Mr. Guterres underlined that in an interconnected world, no one is safe from the new coronavirus disease.  

“COVID-19 respects no borders. COVID-19 anywhere is a threat to people everywhere,” he said.

COVID-19 first emerged in Wuhan, China, last December and was declared a global pandemic three months later. So far, there have been more than 2.6 million cases worldwide, and nearly 182,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The health crisis has also affected everything from the global economy, to education, employment and travel.

Since January, WHO has been working with thousands of researchers across the globe to accelerate and track development of a vaccine against the disease.

The UN agency  has also developed diagnostics which are being used by several countries, and is currently coordinating a “solidarity” clinical trial of four therapeutics to treat the virus.

“The world needs these tools, and it needs them fast,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, one of the event’s co-hosts.

‘The most rapid vaccine deployment in history’

Tedros described the ACT Accelerator as “a landmark collaboration” as it brings together the combined power of several organizations.

The global vaccine alliance, GAVI, is among key partners working to speed up development of COVID-19 tools.

“We need to devise and deliver a vaccine programme to get billions of doses out at a speed and scale never before contemplated, let alone achieved: the most rapid vaccine deployment in history”, said Seth Berkley, the alliance’s Chief Executive Officer.

The biopharmaceutical industry also stands ready to bring its unique knowledge to the partnership, as well as its expertise and experience – including in building manufacturing and distribution networks.

“Today, scientists in the public and private sector hold the keys to our common goal: the swift end of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Thomas B. Cueni, Director-General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.

“In the fight against COVID-19, we must ensure that no one is left behind. We will only succeed in this journey together.”

Pledging conference ahead

The European Commission will on 4 May host a Global Pledging Effort and replenishing campaign to raise 7.5 billion Euros to support the ramping up of COVID-19 diagnostics and treatments.

However, this is but the first step, as beating the virus will require sustained actions on many fronts, said Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission President.

“We need to develop a vaccine, we need to produce it and to deploy it in every single corner of the world, and make it available at affordable prices. This vaccine will be our universal common good”, she stated.

In a statement released on Friday, the UN said that aid efforts are being stepped up, with humanitarian workers installing handwashing stations, delivering clean drinking water and food, and launching public information campaigns. However, the UN’s humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, has warned that funding is urgently needed to battle COVID-19, and respond to the many other, pre-existing crises.

In this First Person account, Reena Ghelani, Operations Director for OCHA, explains that teams on the ground are adapting to the ‘new normal’, in a world fighting an unprecedented health threat.

At least 100 million at risk

“Our first priority from day one has been to ensure that humanitarian operations are sustained. We have estimated that, even before COVID-19 spread so widely, we needed to be able to reach 100 million people this year to ensure that they have lifesaving assistance and protection.

And now, with COVID-19, we need to make sure we can reach vast, vast numbers of other vulnerable people because, if we don’t, the impact of the virus is going to be even worse.

So we have mobilized fast and we’ve mobilized as one with the United Nations and our NGO colleagues and partners: we’ve quickly identified the sorts of tools we will need to be able to reach deep into some countries where some of the most pressing needs and the most vulnerable people are, and we’ve set up a logistics operation through the World Food Programme (WFP), that will help us, while airlines are less able to enter countries, and governments are taking measures to protect their populations. 

Save the life-savers

Aid workers save lives in developing countries and need to be able to move around as freely as possible. At OCHA, we need to have the infrastructure to support them to do that. 

With the pandemic, we have to operate differently, using different tools to assess situations and get assistance to people, and we are asking governments to help humanitarian workers to move around in a responsible manner, so that we can deliver assistance in a flexible, fast manner. 

As the World Health Organization (WHO) has said, we need to look at how to ensure that we are not operating in large groups together, and that we are distancing. In the humanitarian operations in which we work, we’re making sure that the people that are there to serve are safe: we’ve started operating with distancing at distribution sites, and giving people three to four months’ worth of food, so they don’t have to risk coming again out into crowds or large gatherings.

We’ve also suggested to health clinics in vulnerable places around the world, and to organizations like WHO, UNICEF and the many NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) that provide health assistance, that they provide several rounds of lifesaving medication, so that we are not exposing people who are there for other medical reasons, to the virus.

Stay united, show solidarity, fund humanitarian aid

We need the world to be united and show solidarity with the very most vulnerable – people who are trapped already by conflict or refugees or in other types of dire need – and provide funding now. This isn’t just to allow us to provide food: we’re also looking at providing cash to allow people to be able to purchase what they need in the local markets.

So humanitarian operations have not stopped and they will not stop, and the aid workers are still out there, staying in solidarity with the communities. In fact, with our ongoing programs, we are delivering more today in northwest Syria, for example, where we have a major crisis of people fleeing active fighting. We’ve actually increased the number of convoys that go with lifesaving aid across borders to get to these people who are fleeing with nothing. In the last month, we’ve increased our capacity by 500 trucks. That’s a huge amount of lifesaving aid. 

I also want to acknowledge the work of the NGOs that are out there, who reach deep into locations where no one else can get to, where children need vaccinations, where people face massive issues around protection and violence, as the coronavirus moves across the globe and into these vulnerable communities. 

Those local and international NGOs are essential lifesavers, and we need to ensure that they have the tools and the means to do their job, which means removing restrictions they sometimes face.

This pandemic will be with us for the foreseeable future for sure, and we are preparing for the next year, as we will really need to think of new innovative ways to reach people in need. We have to identify where the world is short on testing equipment, and where it’s difficult to treat and isolate.

We are trying out new and innovative solutions, and we will be learning lessons from each other as we go along. The UN and NGO partners are here to stay, we are not going to leave these vulnerable communities. We will be there to support them in solidarity.”

UNFPA has been recruiting hundreds of contact tracers from local communities who are supporting health authorities in the most affected areas by identifying everyone who has been in contact with an infected person, monitoring their health for symptoms, and referring suspected cases for testing. 

“The work of the contact tracers is critical to breaking the chain of transmission of the disease in Liberia”, said Dr. Bannet Ndyanabangi, UNFPA’s representative in the country. 

Shame, stigma and mistrust 

Liberia has reported just over 100 cases of COVID-19 as of Friday.  The disease was first confirmed there on 16 March.  A week later, authorities declared a public health emergency and requested UN support. 

For UNFPA, the situation was an eerie reminder of the Ebola epidemic that devastated Liberia, as well as Guinea and Sierra Leone, between 2014-2016.  During that crisis, UNFPA worked with the Liberian Government and other health partners to implement contact tracing. 

Although there are clear differences between the two outbreaks, UNFPA said some issues are the same, including shame, stigma and widespread mistrust in the community. 

A tough job 

In response to COVID-19, the Liberian authorities have implemented movement restrictions. Neighbouring Montserrado and Margibi counties are the epicentre of the outbreak, and residents there face more stringent quarantine measures. 

Contact tracers are urgently being recruited, trained and deployed. In addition to identifying and confirming infections, their duties also include teaching people about infection prevention. 

“It is not easy to work as a contract tracer, especially when there is still a high level of denial and stigmatization at the level of the community”, said Octavius Koon, a contact tracer who has been assigned to follow five mortuary workers who had been in contact with a body that tested positive for COVID-19. 

To combat this mistrust, UNFPA is recruiting contact tracers who come from the most affected areas and deploying them within their respective communities. Still, they have to battle mistrust and misinformation.  

“Some of the contacts we are working with do not want to be identified by community members, fearing stigmatization. Some of them also believe it is a waste of time to keep checking on them for the period, 14 to 21 days, when they are not ill”, said Mr. Koon. 

“You sometimes realize that people would choose to lie or mislead you.” 

Safeguarding health and welfare 

Contact tracers also know that in doing their jobs, they are putting their own health at risk. Mr. Koon said strict adherence to guidelines and protocol offers some reassurance. 

“The issue of personal safety cannot be taken for granted,” he added. 

UNFPA has praised the contact tracers as they are essential for safeguarding the health and welfare of their communities. 

 “UNFPA appreciates their efforts because, as frontliners, with direct contact with potential COVID-19 infected persons, they are getting involved with the fight against an infectious disease that may put their and their families’ lives at risk,” said Dr. Ndyanabangi the agency’s representative in Liberia. 

Today, there are more than 200 UNFPA-supported contact tracers working with the Montserrado County Health Team, which covers both Margibi and Montserrado counties. Efforts are underway to increase that number to 400 tracers in the coming weeks. 

UNFPA has also contributed four pickup trucks, five motorbikes and 60 mobile phones to the National Public Health Institute of Liberia, to support surveillance efforts.