Latest WHO Guidance Says Don’t Watch COVID Case Numbers

Get our free mobile app

Did you ever think there was a monster under your bed when you were a kid? Or maybe it was your closet. You were so sure something was in there you had to have your parents come in and check, maybe multiple times, before you were comfortable enough to go to sleep.

Well, that's probably how the World Health Organization feels right about now. Not like the kid with a boogeyman under their bed, but like the parent who has to keep checking.

The "Delta variant" of COVID-19 is causing a lot of panic among people, especially those who don't want to end the pandemic. With the "Delta variant", there have been spikes in cases around the world. Including countries like Scotland, who saw massive case increases last month.

But the World Health Organization (WHO) was also issuing new guidance at that time. Telling public leaders around the world to avoid watching these COVID case number increases. The new WHO guidance tells leaders to shift their focus away from "cases" to long term hospitalizations and deaths, especially in places where the most "at risk" are vaccinated.

Just last week, Jeffrey Zients, the Head of the White House Coronavirus Response Team, told a White House Press Briefing about the "Delta variant" in the United States:

"At the same time, we’ve already fully vaccinated nearly 80 percent of seniors — those 65 and older and those most at risk.  So, despite a potential increase in the number of cases, there will likely be fewer hospitalizations and deaths.  The bottom line is there’s simply no reason that anyone 12 and older should be severely impacted by this virus."

Which continues to be shown all over the globe, especially in countries who've already dealt with the "Delta variant". Those who are vaccinated will not be hospitalized long term, or die, of COVID-19. It's possible to test positive after a vaccination, but the vaccine will prevent you from having severe complications from COVID-19. Which is the point that the WHO is trying to make.

So here in Louisiana, we have over 80% of the seniors in our state over the age of 70 who have initiated vaccines. Roughly 70% of those aged 60-69 have initiated vaccines as well. Putting the seniors in Louisiana on the national average, even if younger adults in Louisiana are not vaccinated at the rates. Meaning with the most at-risk people in the state being protect, Louisiana needs to ignore case counts.

There has been a lot of noise over the last couple days about case number increases in the state. But as nearly ever expert has stated, those are almost entirely among the unvaccinated. Most of them are also young people. Meaning the charts in Louisiana will likely reflect what Scotland had during their "Delta variant" increase...

The WHO knows that people think there's a boogeyman under our beds whenever we hear "Delta variant", or see COVID case increases. But those world health leaders would like you to know, they've checked under the bed, and this is not a monster.