COVID-19 spread during Russia-Ukraine war worries WHO officials

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned this week that the conflict in Ukraine could lead to increased COVID-19 transmission. 

Speaking at a Wednesday news briefing, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said  Ukraine had experienced a surge of cases before Russia's invasion. 

Low rates of testing, he said, mean there is likely to be a significant undetected transmission of the virus and – coupled with low vaccination coverage – the increased risk of "large numbers of people developing severe disease."

"Mass population movements are likely to contribute further to transmission of COVID-19, potentially increasing pressure on health systems in neighboring countries," Tedros noted. 

"Anytime you disrupt society like this, and put literally millions of people on the move, infectious diseases will exploit that," Dr. Michael Ryan, the executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said.