Nearly 15 Million Deaths Are Linked to COVID-19, World Health Organization Says
TimeOct 19, 2022
The Facts
The WHO estimates that nearly 15M people were killed either by COVID or by its impact on overwhelmed health systems in the past two years. This is more than double the official death toll of 6M. Most of the fatalities were in Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
The report, released Thurs., quoted WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus describing the figure as "sobering," and that it should prompt countries to invest more to protect against future health emergencies.
The Spin
Left narrative
Though many may wish it to be, COVID is not over. Socially-accepted terms like "endemic" and "new normal" are disingenuous as the pandemic rolls into another deadly surge. Thousands of people are still dying each day - we must stay vigilant even when it's uncomfortable.
Right narrative
It's time to accept that COVID is here to stay and learn to live with it. We now have the tools and experience to manage it, and individuals should be allowed to calculate their own risk.
