Red Cross: Coronavirus cases exploding in Asia

The director of the International Federation of the Red Cross’s Asia division said Wednesday that the COVID-19 outbreak is exploding across the continent, particularly in India and the southeast.

In a news release Wednesday, Red Cross Asia Pacific Director Alexander Matheou warned that nearly 6 million new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded on the continent in the past two weeks, while adding that the figure was likely an undercount due to highly stressed local health systems in some areas.

“COVID-19 is exploding across much of Asia, overwhelming hospitals and healthcare. More people have been diagnosed with the disease in Asia over the past two weeks than in the Americas, Europe, and Africa combined,” Matheou said.

“Right now, we need global solidarity for regional support with more medical equipment, support for prevention and urgent access to vaccines,” he continued.

The news release went on to point out that seven of the 10 countries with the highest rates of new infections on earth are in Asia, including India, where the country’s health system faces complete collapse due to a massive surge of cases that have left hospitals without beds or oxygen supplies.

Laos, in Southeast Asia, is also experiencing a major wave of new infections and saw its overall caseload double in less than two weeks, the Red Cross noted.

“Millions of dedicated Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers are going above and beyond to fill gaps, providing ambulance services, clinics, vaccines and other relief in all corners of every country in Asia and the Pacific,” said Matheou.

“To bring this pandemic under control we need greater global cooperation so that lifesaving resources, medical equipment, vaccines and money, get where they are needed to help people most at risk. We’re only safe when everyone is safe,” he continued.

The U.S. has announced emergency aid to India amid that country’s desperate battle against a second wave of the virus, including hundreds of oxygen cylinders as well as N95 masks and nearly 1 million rapid-result COVID-19 tests.

Indian health authorities have said that the country needs more access to vaccines, while adding that the country’s health system remains stressed because of a shortage of health care workers and many necessary supplies.