WHO alerts of COVID-19 impetus as winter season looms in northern hemisphere

The World Health Organization warned on Wednesday that COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus, is spreading at a worrying pace in some parts of the northern hemisphere, a few months away from the winter influenza season.

"We are starting to see worrying trends in some countries," Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO technical lead for COVID-19, said during a social media webcast.

"We are seeing increases in hospitalisations, in intensive care units, particularly in Spain, France, Montenegro, Ukraine and some states of the United States. That is worrying because we have not seen the flu season yet."

Van Kerkhove also said hospitalisations of people aged 15-49 infected with COVID-19 were increasing in several countries. Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO's top emergency expert, advised people at high risk for COVID-19 infections to get a flu vaccination.

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