WHO Director Insists There May ‘Never Be’ a ‘Silver Bullet’ to Combat Coronavirus

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus — Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) — is warning there is a possibility there may never be a “silver bullet” to cure the coronavirus.

On Monday, Tedros appeared for a media briefing about the pandemic where he offered an update on the efforts being made to combat the coronavirus.

Despite the vaccines undergoing clinical trials, Tedros insists there may never be a “silver bullet” when it comes to treating COVID-19.

“A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection,” Tedros said.

He added, “However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be. For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health.” 

Tedros went on to stress the importance of “testing, isolating, and treating patients and tracing and quarantining their contacts.”

See Tedros’ remarks below:

Tedros’ latest remarks follow repeated warnings about the lack of unity between nations as the coronavirus continues to spread internationally.

In July, Tedros urged leaders to unify as he posed the question: “How is it difficult for humans to unite and fight a common enemy that is killing people indiscriminately?”

In April, Tedros also warned against politicizing the coronavirus as President Donald Trump ripped into the agency and its connection to China.