Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) - More than 100 thousand people infected with COVID-19 fully recovered. This was announced by the head of the WHO Tedros Ghebreyesus at a briefing. He also said that in the near future, tests of drugs for the virus in humans will begin. But coronavirus continues its "procession" on the planet: the number of infections worldwide has exceeded half a million.

The Director-General of the World Health Organization said that as a result of an online meeting with ministers of health of 50 countries, the main tasks were identified: the need for early detection of the virus and isolation of people with a confirmed diagnosis, tracking and identifying people with whom the patients were in contact and quarantining them, and also increasing the effectiveness of treatment. It is also extremely important to establish a permanent relationship with the population, which will help establish confidence in the authorities and mobilize citizens to fight the epidemic.

According to the head of WHO, one of the main problems today is the lack of personal protective equipment. WHO, for its part, has already sent 2 million protective materials to the 74 countries most in need and is preparing to send the same to another 60 countries.

But this, of course, is not enough, Tedros Ghebreyesus noted and emphasized the need for international cooperation and solidarity. “Health workers in low- and middle-income countries deserve the same protection as doctors in the richest countries,” he said.

International cooperation is also necessary in the production of test kits for research and development. The head of WHO said that in the near future in Norway and Spain, volunteer patients will begin testing drugs and combination therapy, which are expected to help alleviate the course of the disease. The project is called the “Tests of Solidarity” - 45 countries are involved in it and many others have expressed a desire to participate in it.

“This is a historic test that will help you get evidence of which drugs really work much faster,” said Tedros Ghebreyesus. At the same time, he warned that the vaccine against COVID-19 will appear no earlier than in a year and a half.

For its part, the World Health Organization has already published about 40 detailed recommendations based on scientific evidence and practical experience and intended for governments, hospitals, healthcare providers and the general public. More than a million medical staff attended WHO courses on OpenWHO.org. And the Solidarity Fund, created to combat COVID-19, received $108 million from 203 thousand organizations and individuals in just two weeks.

The WHO Director-General quoted the words of the Minister of Health of Singapore: “We are only at the beginning of the struggle. We must remain calm, unite and act together.”