Two million virus deaths ‘likely’ without collective action: WHO

The World Health Organisation said on Friday, two million Covid-19 fatalities are “very likely” without relentless global action to combat the disease.

As the one million death toll emerge in a pandemic that has increased around the world, the WHO said the prospect of another million deaths was not unimaginable, if countries and individuals do not come together to tackle the crisis.

The WHO's emergencies director Michael Rtan told in a virtual news conference that “One million is a terrible number and we need to reflect on that before we start considering a second million."

But he added, “Are we prepared collectively to do what it takes to avoid that number?

“If we don’t take those actions... yes, we will be looking at that number and sadly much higher," he said.

He also noted, “Unless we do it all, the numbers you speak about are not only imaginable but unfortunately, and sadly, very likely.”

The novel coronavirus has killed at least 984,068 people since the outbreak emerged in China last December, according to a tally from official sources.

Almost 32.3 million cases of the virus have been registered.

Ryan reflected on the challenges ahead in funding, producing and distributing any eventual vaccines against Covid-19.

“If we look at losing a million people in nine months and then we just look at the realities of getting a vaccine out there in the next nine months, it’s a big task for for everyone involved,” he said.