The head of the World Health Organization is warning that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic has yet to come.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva on Monday that “the worst is yet ahead of us” but didn’t specify in what ways the crisis could get worse.
His warning followed the United States and some European countries beginning the process of slowly reopening and emerging from various lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, and social distancing restrictions that were put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19.
The illness has infected almost 2.5 million people worldwide and killed at least 168,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. Tedros compared the coronavirus outbreak to the Spanish flu.
“It has a very dangerous combination, and this is happening … like the 1918 flu that killed up to 100 million people,” the WHO chief said.
Tedros went on to say that because of the technological advances since then, “we can prevent that disaster. We can prevent that kind of crisis.”
“Trust us. The worst is yet ahead of us,” he continued. “Let’s prevent this tragedy. It’s a virus that many people still don’t understand.”
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President Trump has sparred with the WHO over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic when it first began. He has also accused the WHO of being too cozy with China, where the virus first originated late last year. Last week, Trump announced that the U.S. would pause payments to the WHO pending a review of the organization.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hit back on that notion and said that a global pandemic is not a good time to abandon the financing. He warned, “Now is the time for unity and for the international community to work together in solidarity to stop this virus and its shattering consequences.”
