The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported this Wednesday that in America deaths from coronavirus increased for the sixth consecutive week, with up to 202 per hourbut new infections showed a decline.
Compared to the previous week, deaths rose by 5.6%, that is, they added more than 34,000announced the director of PAHO, Carissa Etienne, at a press conference.
Deaths increased especially in United States, where he accumulated 17,000but also in Central America, Brazil and the Caribbean countries.
The opposite happens with new infections, which fell by 31% compared to the previous week, reported Etienne, the AFP news agency replied.
“We need to act quickly and decisively to save lives. This will not be the last variant, and the future of the pandemic is still extremely uncertain”Carissa Etienne, Director of PAHO
The coronavirus was deadliest in the Americas, with more than 2.5 million deaths over the course of the pandemic and more than 100,000 in January 2022 alone.
The director of PAHO attributes the high mortality rate to the region did not apply the appropriate tools when the Ómicron variant arrivedhighly contagious.
People had relaxed precautions, traveling and gathering indoors, often without masks, Etienne added.
In all the countries of the region, more than half of the deaths occur in people over 65 years of age, however age is not the only factor.
It also influences the fact that many have not been vaccinated and “they continue to fill hospitals and intensive care beds,” Etienne said.
? Inaction is not an option when up to 34,000 people have died from this virus every week for the past few weeks in the Americas region. ? That means up to 202 people have died every hour – @DirOPSPAHO #COVID19 https://t.co/wYDFzNN3eS
— PAHO/WHO (@opsoms) February 16, 2022
Some 14 countries and territories in the region have already immunized more than 70% of the eligible population.
This is the goal established by the World Health Organization and to meet it on the continent, it is necessary to ensure that at least 20 million more people receive all their doses of vaccines.
PAHO affirms that 100 million doses of vaccines against Vovid-19 were delivered to 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, thanks to the work of its Revolving Fund, in coordination with the Covax mechanism, which negotiates the price of the anticovid vaccine so that all countries can access it.
30% of the doses were donated.
“We need to act quickly and decisively to save lives. This will not be the last variant, and the future of the pandemic is still extremely uncertain. The decisions we make today can have a ripple effect in the months and years to come,” Etienne warned.
