WHO says what? You must not hug loved ones this holiday season

A WHO official stated that the epidemic is widespread and it is shocking to see it in a country with a wonderful and strong health system.

If you have been looking forward to spending time with loved ones this holiday season, you might need to temper your excitement. The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned everyone not to hug those that they love during the holidays.

WHO just gave some unconventional advice for everyone who would be enjoying the holidays in the final weeks of the month. The organisation warned that people must avoid hugging loved ones in order to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Dr Michael Ryan, emergencies chief of WHO, said in an Associated Press report that it is a horrible thing to think that they are there as the World Health Organization and telling people not to hug each other. he said that it is a brutal reality in places such as the United States at the moment. This was his response to a question asking whether hugging is considered as close contact.

He also said that the epidemic is widespread and he said quite frankly, it is shocking, seeing such a situation in a country that has a wonderful and strong health system, as well as amazing technological capacities.

The pandemic has already taken a toll on the US health system. Recently, an update on the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the US from FoxNews revealed that the country has seen yet another of the highest number of deaths in a single day. The country recorded 3,000 deaths in just one day and new cases surged to more than 200,000. As of Tuesday, those hospitalised due to the virus almost reached 105,000.

Despite the numbers though, Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the country, said during a forum at the TH Chan School of Public Health in Harvard, that the country must try to keep children in schools. He said that their data does not show a high transmission of the virus in schools.

He said that there would always be exceptions. He narrated that their default position is to try to keep schools open and to get children back in school as best as they can.

As of the moment, there are more than 69 million coronavirus cases in the world, with deaths recorded at 1.5 million. A silver lining is the number of recoveries are now at 48 million.