<p>The global death toll from Covid-19 could double to 20 lakh before a successful vaccine is widely used and could be even higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic, an official at the World Health Organization said on Friday.</p>.<p>"Unless we do it all, (2 million deaths) ... is not only imaginable but sadly very likely," Mike Ryan, head of the UN agency's emergencies programme, told a briefing on Friday.</p>.<p>The number of deaths about nine months since the novel coronavirus was discovered in China is nearing 1 million</p>.<p>"We are not out of the woods anywhere, we are not out of the woods in Africa," said Ryan.</p>.<p>He said young people should not be blamed for a recent increase in infections despite growing concerns that they are driving its spread after restrictions and lockdowns were eased around the world.</p>.<p>"I really hope we don't get into finger wagging: it's all because of the youth," said Ryan. "The last thing a young person needs is an old person pontificating and wagging the finger."</p>.<p>Rather, indoor gatherings of people of all ages were driving the epidemic, he said.</p>.<p>The WHO is continuing talks with China about its possible involvement in the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to Covid-19 vaccines, a week after the deadline for committing passed.</p>.<p>"We're in discussions with China about the role they may play as we go forward," said Bruce Aylward, WHO senior adviser and head of the ACT-Accelerator programme to back vaccines, treatments and diagnostics against Covid-19.</p>.<p>He confirmed that Taiwan has signed up to the scheme, even though it is not a WHO member, bringing the total to 159 participants. Some 34 are still deciding.</p>.<p>Talks with China also include discussion of the world's second-largest economy potentially supplying vaccines to the scheme, he said.</p>.<p>The UN agency published on Friday draft criteria for the assessment of emergency use of Covid-19 vaccines to help guide drugmakers as vaccine trials reach advanced stages, said WHO assistant director-general, Mariangela Simao.</p>.<p>The document will be available for public comment until Oct. 8, she said.</p>.<p>Earlier on Friday, a Chinese health official said the WHO had given its support for the country to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people even while clinical trials were still underway.</p>
<p>The global death toll from Covid-19 could double to 20 lakh before a successful vaccine is widely used and could be even higher without concerted action to curb the pandemic, an official at the World Health Organization said on Friday.</p>.<p>"Unless we do it all, (2 million deaths) ... is not only imaginable but sadly very likely," Mike Ryan, head of the UN agency's emergencies programme, told a briefing on Friday.</p>.<p>The number of deaths about nine months since the novel coronavirus was discovered in China is nearing 1 million</p>.<p>"We are not out of the woods anywhere, we are not out of the woods in Africa," said Ryan.</p>.<p>He said young people should not be blamed for a recent increase in infections despite growing concerns that they are driving its spread after restrictions and lockdowns were eased around the world.</p>.<p>"I really hope we don't get into finger wagging: it's all because of the youth," said Ryan. "The last thing a young person needs is an old person pontificating and wagging the finger."</p>.<p>Rather, indoor gatherings of people of all ages were driving the epidemic, he said.</p>.<p>The WHO is continuing talks with China about its possible involvement in the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to Covid-19 vaccines, a week after the deadline for committing passed.</p>.<p>"We're in discussions with China about the role they may play as we go forward," said Bruce Aylward, WHO senior adviser and head of the ACT-Accelerator programme to back vaccines, treatments and diagnostics against Covid-19.</p>.<p>He confirmed that Taiwan has signed up to the scheme, even though it is not a WHO member, bringing the total to 159 participants. Some 34 are still deciding.</p>.<p>Talks with China also include discussion of the world's second-largest economy potentially supplying vaccines to the scheme, he said.</p>.<p>The UN agency published on Friday draft criteria for the assessment of emergency use of Covid-19 vaccines to help guide drugmakers as vaccine trials reach advanced stages, said WHO assistant director-general, Mariangela Simao.</p>.<p>The document will be available for public comment until Oct. 8, she said.</p>.<p>Earlier on Friday, a Chinese health official said the WHO had given its support for the country to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people even while clinical trials were still underway.</p>