Health and Healthcare Systems

WHO officials warn against 'magical thinking' regarding lockdowns -  COVID-19 briefing 

Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical Lead of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme attends a news conference on the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Geneva, Switzerland, March 16, 2020.

Maria Van Kerkhove, Technical Lead of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme Image: VIA REUTERS

Linda Lacina
  • The World Health Organization held a media briefing on 13 May to update the public on the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
  • Lockdowns are not one-size-fits-all, nor a comprehensive solution for fighting coronavirus, the WHO warned.

The word “lockdown” has become a new addition to our vocabularies under COVID-19, but the word is often misconstrued and misunderstood, World Health Organization (WHO) officials warned at a briefing in Geneva on Wednesday. Such misunderstandings can erode public support for key public health measures or weaken a country’s ability to effectively fight the virus.

Loading...

There is no universal definition for what constitutes a lockdown.

Lockdowns, explained Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO Technical Lead, are a set of measures countries have taken that include individual- and community-level restrictions of movement. They can include full- or partial closures of different types of facilities, such as schools or workplaces.

“I think there's this misconception that a lockdown is one thing...it's not," Van Kerkhove said.

Not all countries have needed to close all types of facilities, she added. Some countries have been able to control the virus and still leave workplaces open, or even bars and nightclubs.

“The word 'lockdown' makes it sound like an entire country has shut down overnight," she said. "And it's it's just not the case. It isn't an all or nothing.”

Have you read?

Importantly, lockdowns alone cannot eradicate COVID-19. They are one part of a larger six-part strategy WHO officials outlined in March. These measures, along with testing and tracing, can help track and slow the spread of the virus. They can be applied by any country, regardless of its transmission phase. "It must be a comprehensive approach," said Van Kerkhove.

As lockdowns have differed across countries, the measures to lift them will differ as well. “It's going to take some time to come out of this pandemic...which will differ based on the country itself," Van Kerkhove said.

Discover

What is the World Economic Forum doing about the coronavirus outbreak?

But some countries still don't understand the part that lockdowns play in a larger strategy, the WHO cautioned. “There’s some magical thinking going on...that lockdowns work perfectly and that unlocking lockdowns will go great," said Michael J. Ryan, Chief Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme.

Since the outbreak began last December, there have been more than 4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 around the globe. According to WHO officials, risk remains high at national, regional and global levels - and vigilance will continue to be key. “There's a long, long way to go,” stressed Ryan.

Loading...
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

COVID-19

Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how COVID-19 is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

What’s the difference between carbon negative and carbon neutral?

Emma Charlton

November 29, 2024

How to transform lung cancer outcomes in low- and middle-income countries

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum