‘Far from over’: WHO’s Van Kerkhove in eye of virus storm | Malay Mail

  • 📰 malaymail
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 63 sec. here
  • 3 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 29%
  • Publisher: 86%

Malaysia Headlines News

Malaysia Latest News,Malaysia Headlines

GENEVA, Oct 15 — It was Christmastime and the whole family was gathered together, but Maria Van Kerkhove was distracted: she had just received an email alert about mysterious pneumonia cases in China. In the nine and a half months since then, that first cluster of cases has ballooned into a...

Technical Lead for the World Health Organisation Maria Van Kerkhove at a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland February 28, 2020. — Reuters pic

“I am immensely proud to be part of this team,” she told AFP in an exclusive interview this week, pointing to the huge amounts of knowledge amassed about the disease in a few short months.The new coronavirus has killed nearly 1.1 million people worldwide since Van Kerkhove and other disease experts were first alerted to the mystery virus late last December.

Van Kerkhove, who is WHO’s technical lead on the pandemic, speaks calmly and deliberately, often gesticulating for emphasis as she conveys complex scientific findings and WHO’s core messages on how to halt the virus. She had said people who never develop symptoms of Covid-19 appear to only rarely transmit the virus, but her comment was interpreted to mean that pre-symptomatic people who later develop symptoms are not contagious.“Those are the kinds of things that really bother me, because I know what we say matters,” she said.

She said she tried not to look at the negative and sometimes violent comments, preferring to focus on messages of support, including from girls proud to see a woman scientist in such a prominent position.Van Kerkhove acknowledged the work had been hard. She barely made it home for the first six months, and has yet to take a full day off.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 1. in MY

Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Van jenazah undang kekecohan - Utusan DigitalVan jenazah undang kekecohan
Source: UMonline - 🏆 27. / 51 Read more »

Global economy's recovery hinges on stimulus, virus battle, say officials | Malay MailWASHINGTON, Oct 14 ― Global finance leaders yesterday said the world economy had escaped a coronavirus-triggered collapse so far, but warned that failure to conquer the pandemic, maintain stimulus and tackle mounting debt among poor nations could crush a fragile recovery. At the start of the...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Germany wrestles with second virus wave as cases reach record | Malay MailBERLIN, Oct 15 — Warnings mounted in Germany that it was up to the citizens of Europe's biggest economy to do their part to halt the spread of the coronavirus pandemic as daily new infections reached a record today. “There can be no question anymore now that this is the start of a very big...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Saudi hosts G20 talks on virus recovery, debt relief | Malay MailRIYADH, Oct 14 — G20 finance ministers and central bankers were holding talks today aimed at spurring global recovery from a coronavirus-triggered recession as they consider a proposal to extend debt relief for crisis-hit poor countries. The virtual talks, hosted by current G20 president Saudi...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

Paris goes under curfew as Europe ramps up virus restrictions | Malay MailPARIS, Oct 15 — France yesterday became the latest European country to toughen anti-coronavirus measures, imposing a curfew in Paris and eight other cities from Saturday, while Germany and Ireland also ramped up restrictions.  “We have to act. We need to put a brake on the spread of the...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »

UK govt defends ignoring scientists’ virus advice | Malay MailLONDON, Oct 13 — The British government today insisted it is still “guided by science” following criticism that senior ministers had ignored the advice of experts three weeks ago for tougher restrictions to cut rising coronavirus infections. Health Secretary Matt Hancock told lawmakers the...
Source: malaymail - 🏆 1. / 86 Read more »