🌎 Omicron is still around, and this pandemic is unpredictable.
We must build on lessons from the past 2️⃣ years to prepare for quick action if a new variant emerges or outbreaks happen among those who remain vulnerable.
🌎 We all want the pandemic to be over, but optimism alone cannot control the virus 🦠
It is too soon to lower our guard.
Public health measures are being left behind in many parts of our region.
🌎 A recent WHO report shows staggering numbers on the mental health impact: rates of depression and anxiety shot up ⬆️ by 25% around the world, heavily impacting women and young people.
🌎 And as health systems 🏥 were overwhelmed by COVID-19 surges, countries in the Americas reported more disruptions to essential health services than other global regions.
🌎 Over 148 million people in our region have been ill with this virus 🦠, and early studies show that some COVID survivors will suffer lifelong consequences.
@DirOPSPAHO #COVID19 twitter.com/pahowho/status…
🌎 This is a tragedy of enormous proportions, and its effects will be felt for years to come.
Beyond the lives we’ve lost, the pandemic has had devastating impacts on the long-term health of our people.
🌎 Nearly half of all global deaths were in the Americas – even though our region is home to fewer than 13% of people around the world.
🌎 The region of the Americas has been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.
With more than 2.6 million lives lost, we reported the most COVID 🦠 deaths out of any other Region in the world.
🌎 It has been two years since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, just before COVID transmission became widespread in our region.
Since then, we have lost at least 6️⃣ million people around the world to this virus.
🌎 Last week, COVID-19 cases declined by 26% across the Americas, with 1.1 million new infections 🦠reported.
Deaths also dropped by nearly 19%, with close to 18,000 deaths recorded in the past week.
