WHO official: Prepare for a new way of living

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday advised governments and societies must remain vigilant to stop the transmission of the new coronavirus, and the lifting of lockdowns and other measures needs to be done gradually.

During a virtual press briefing held from Manila, Dr Takeshi Kasai, the WHO Regional Director for the Western Pacific, said the fight against the virus would remain challenging, and people in the region would need to be ready for a new way of living for the foreseeable future.

The WHO Western Pacific Region is home to almost 1.9 billion people across 37 countries.

COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2, which erupted in Wuhan in China's Hubei province in late 2019.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and could lead to death.