We all know that COVID-19 has completely changed the way we travel worldwide. There are restrictions, hurdles, and bans that we have to go through to get from one place to another. Of course, that has caused problems for many people.
Recently, WHO reiterated that nations must lift or ease their bans of COVID-19 related restrictions. According to the organization, lifting and easing such bans would relieve the social and economic stress that came with the pandemic. Here is what you must know about this recommendation by WHO.
The Recommendation By WHO
The recommendation by WHO was made last month during an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee. During this meeting, there was a report that recommended countries must lift bans and ease restrictions. The committee found that such restrictions and bans don’t offer value and continue to put more social and economic stress on the nations.
Besides that, the report also stated that such restrictions don’t limit the international spread of COVID-19. So, such measures become ineffective as the pandemic has been ongoing for a while now. Of course, these are not the only recommendations in the report.
It also said that travel safety measures such as quarantine, testing, masking, vaccination, and isolation must be done on risk assessment. That should happen because international travelers should not face that much financial stress while traveling.
What We Should Do Instead
WHO recommends baricitinib for patients experiencing severe COVID-19. They must take the drug orally, and it must be given with corticosteroids. Besides that, the organization also conditionally recommends using sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody drug for treating mild to moderate COVID-19.
These recommendations are for people who are at significant risk of hospitalization because of their symptoms. Besides that, it also includes patients with underlying conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and much more. It is also for older people or ones who are immunocompromised.
The Shortage Of COVID-19 Test Kits
Another problem happening is the shortage of COVID-19 test kits. The cases are expanding, and people can’t take at-home tests because of the short supply that needs to keep up with the demand. That is why people who have been exposed to COVID-19 but don’t have any symptoms should isolate and follow all the other measures.
That is the only way to curb the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that hospitals are not burdened with cases. After all, they are already working overtime and burdened enough with patients with severe symptoms.
Final Words
That was your complete guide to understanding the new recommendations given by WHO. Of course, it is up to the countries to follow these new recommendations. However, everything would become much easier if the countries followed these recommendations.
That is because traveling has become a big luxury after COVID-19 as one needs to have the funds to overcome all the restrictions. If these restrictions keep going at this rate, no one will be able to afford traveling, except the elite and rich.