New Delhi: ‘The world can end the coronavirus pandemic in less than two years’, hoped Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Terming COVID-19 as a ‘once-in-a-century health crisis’, Tedros, during a press briefing, asserted while globalisation had allowed the virus to spread quicker than the flu did in 1918, there was also now the technology to stop it that hadn’t been available a century ago. Also Read – Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Early-stage Trials Show Fewer Side Effects, Favourable Immunity; Expects Approval in October | Top Points

“We hope to finish this pandemic (in) less than two years, especially if we can pool our efforts,” he said, exuding confidence that it should be possible to tame the novel coronavirus faster than the deadly 1918 pandemic by “utilising the available tools to the maximum. Also Read – After Haryana Lockdown, Chandigarh Announces Curfew on All Saturdays, Sundays

Tedros comments came as the overall number of global coronavirus cases topped 22.5 million, while the deaths have inched closer to 8 lakh-mark. Notably, the total number of cases stood at 22,593,363 and the fatalities rose to 792,396. Also Read – This Drug Improves Survival in Sickest COVID-19 Patients

The US accounted for the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 5,573,501 and 173,114, respectively. With 3,501,975 infections and 112,304 deaths Brazil came in the second place, followed by India, which has recorded 2,905,823 cases and 54849 deaths so far.