THe World Health Organisation says it is alarming how many health workers are becoming infected with coronavirus (Picture SIPA/USA)

One in ten health workers are catching coronavirus in some countries, according to the World Health Organisation.

Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: ‘We are particularly concerned with the large number of infections reported among health workers.

‘In some countries there are reports of up to 10 per cent of health workers being infected.

‘This is an alarming trend. When health workers are at risk, we are all at risk.’


Director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

He said evidence from countries such as China, Italy, Singapore, Spain and the United States suggested some workers are being infected outside health facilities, such as in their homes or communities.



Common problems include the late recognition of Covid-19 and lack of training or inexperience dealing with respiratory diseases.

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He added that many health workers ‘are also being exposed to large numbers of patients in long shifts with inadequate rest periods’.

But he said that when they wore Personal Protective Equipment ‘the right way’, infections ‘can be prevented’.

He said: ‘That makes it even more important that health workers are able to access the masks, gloves, gowns & other PPE they need to do their jobs safely’.

The UK is among several countries grappling with shortages of essential equipment that minimises the exposure to coronavirus.

WHO is shipping PPE to struggling countries across the globe (Picture: AFP)

To help, the United Nations (UN) has launched a Supply Chain Task Force to coordinate and scale up the procurement and distribution of personal protective equipment, lab diagnostics and oxygen to the countries that need it most.

‘This initiative will be coordinated by WHO, the World Food Programme (WFP) building on existing collaboration between multiple partners from within and outside the UN’, Dr Tedros said.

‘This system will consist of hubs in Belgium, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malaysia, Panama, South Africa & the United Arab Emirates. We estimate this supply chain may need to cover more than 30% of the world’s needs in the acute phase of the pandemic’.

Every month, the supply chain task force will ship at least 100 million medical masks and gloves, 25 million respirators, gowns and face-shields and up to 2.5 million diagnostic tests.

A lack of PPE is one of the reasons one in ten health workers are dying in some countries, Dr Tedros said (Picture: Getty)

Large quantities of oxygen concentrators and other equipment for clinical care will also be shipped out.

To move these supplies around the world, WFP will deploy 16 large aircraft, and several smaller passenger planes, Dr Tedros said.

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