Conditions on the ground in Ukraine will make it easier for Covid-19 to spread, Dr. Mike Ryan, director of the World Health Organization’s Health Emergencies Program, said during a news briefing on Wednesday.
“Anytime you disrupt society like this and put literally millions of people on the move, then infectious diseases will exploit that,” Ryan said.
“People are packed together, they’re stressed, and they’re not eating, they’re not sleeping properly. They’re highly susceptible to the impacts, first of all being infected themselves. And it’s much more likely that disease will spread,” he said.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the organization is “deeply concerned” about reports it has received about attacks on health care facilities and workers.
“We have received several unconfirmed reports of attacks on hospitals and health infrastructure, and one confirmed incident last week in which a hospital came under heavy weapons attack, killing four people and injuring 10, including six health workers. We are currently in the process of verifying several other incidents,” he said.
Tedros said there is an “urgent need” to establish a corridor so supplies can be transported in the region.
“I think the estimate just last week was 2,000 people on oxygen, high-flow oxygen for Covid,” Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said, adding that the number has likely risen since then, including people who need oxygen for non-Covid conditions.
“Oxygen is not just life-saving in Covid, oxygen is life-saving full-stop. And you need it when you need it. You can’t wait until tomorrow for oxygen. You can’t wait until next week. You can’t be put on a waiting list for oxygen. You can’t stand in the queue for oxygen. Oxygen saves your life right now. And when you need it, you need it,” he said.
“If we do not get oxygen into the system and other critical drugs, people will die needlessly. Well, they’re dying needlessly start with, but there’s a secondary level of needlessness,” he added/
CNN