Coronavirus Pandemic Could Be Over within 2 Yrs: WHO Head

The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) says he expects the coronavirus pandemic will be finished in fewer than two years, BBC reports.

Speaking in Geneva on Friday, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that the 1918 Spanish flu needed two years to conquer.

But he added that current advances in technology could enable the world to halt the virus "in a shorter time".

"Of course with more connectedness, the virus has a better chance of spreading," he said.

"But at the same time, we have also the technology to stop it, and the knowledge to stop it," he noted, stressing the importance of "national unity, global solidarity".

The deadly flu of 1918 killed at least 50 million people.

To date, the coronavirus has destroyed about 800,000 individuals and affected 22.7 million others.

Dr. Tedros also referred to the problem of corruption linked to personal protective equipment ( PPE) during the pandemic, which he described as "criminal."

"Any type of corruption is unacceptable," he answered.

"However, corruption related to PPE... for me it's actually murder. Because if health workers work without PPE, we're risking their lives. And that also risks the lives of the people they serve."

Although the problem related to accusations of corruption in South Africa, a range of countries have faced similar challenges.

On Friday, demonstrations were held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, over suspected grafting during the pandemic, while doctors from a variety of city public hospitals were affected by unpaid salaries and shortage of protective equipment.

Around the same day, the head of the WHO Health Emergency Program reported that the severity of the coronavirus epidemic in Mexico was "clearly under-recognized."

Dr. Mike Ryan said the average of only three individuals per 100,000 is being screened in Mexico, relative to around 150 per 100,000 in the US.

Mexico has the third-highest number of deaths in the world, with approximately 60,000 deaths reported since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Elsewhere, in the US, Democratic candidate Joe Biden has criticized President Donald Trump 's treatment of the pandemic.

"Our current president's failed in his most basic duty to the nation. He's failed to protect us. He's failed to protect America," Mr Biden said, and pledged to introduce a national mandate to wear masks if elected.

More than 1,000 new deaths were announced in the US on Friday, bringing the total number of fatalities to 173,490.

What's happening elsewhere?

On Friday, a variety of countries reported their largest number of fresh cases in months.

South Korea has reported 324 new cases-the largest single-day number since March.

As with its previous outbreak, the new infections have been linked to churches, and museums, nightclubs and karaoke bars have now been closed in and around the capital Seoul in response.

A number of European countries are also seeing rises.

Poland and Slovakia have registered fresh regular infections on Friday, with 903 and 123 cases respectively, while Spain and France have seen drastic spikes in recent days.

In Lebanon, a two-week temporary lockdown-including a night-time curfew-has come into place because the region has experienced the largest number of cases since the start of the pandemic.

Infections have increased after the massive explosion in Beirut, the capital, killed at least 178 people and wounded thousands more on 4 August.

The tragedy left an additional 300,000 people homeless and placing a huge burden on emergency services.