COVID-19 could increase Child Mortality Rate by 45% in developing countries: World Bank

World Bank President David Malpass on Monday, October 6 stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic child mortality rates would very likely go up in developing countries. According to ANI, Malpass stated that the mortality rate in children would go up a little less than half of its current rate and that this increase in the mortality rate would last for several years.

Pandemic to also severely affect education in developing countries

The World Bank President during a virtual discussion, just before the annual meeting between the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, stated that “Our early estimates suggest a potential increase of up to 45 per cent in child mortality because of health service shortfalls and reduction in access to food”. The President also added that in addition to increased mortality rates, developing countries may also face challenges in administering education during the ongoing pandemic.

According to ANI, Mr Malpass also revealed that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic almost 2 billion children across the globe have been out o school and these could potentially amount to a loss of $10 trillion in lifetime earnings. As per Mr Malpass, the World Bank is currently doing everything it can to aid countries in the sectors of health and education.

The COVID-19 pandemic which saw its first outbreak in a wet market in Wuhan, China last year has now spread all across the world. The virus, named COVID-19 by the World Health Organisation, has infected over 35 million people worldwide with the global death toll crossing 1,000,000. The US has reported more than 7.5 million positive COVID-19 cases and a death toll of over 210,000.

Read: Growth In East Asia And Pacific At Lowest Rate Since 1967 Amid COVID-19: World Bank

Read: COVID-19 Would Jeopardise All Gains Made In Child Heath And Education: World Bank

US CDC accepts COVID Airborne Transmission

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention recently updated their website wherein they stated that the deadly COVID-19 virus can be transmitted through the air. It also revealed that the previous assumption that an infected person could not infect someone more than six feet away was false.

The new information by the CDC comes at a time when the intensity of the COVID-19 pandemic in the US seems to be increasing, and the virus outbreak in the White House that infected US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump also seems to be expanding.

Read: New York Governor Assures 'aggressive Enforcement' Of COVID-19 Restrictions In Hot Spots

Read: Coronavirus Transmission Through Air Possible, 6 Feet Distance Not Enough: US CDC

(With ANI inputs, Image: investopedia.com)